ontinued, flourishing my hat over my
head, "tanner, in this instance, is not an English word." Is it not
surprising that the language of Mr. Petulengro and of Tawno Chikno, is
continually coming to my assistance whenever I appear to be at a nonplus
with respect to the derivation of crabbed words? I have made out crabbed
words in AEschylus by means of the speech of Chikno and Petulengro; and
even in my Biblical researches I have derived no slight assistance from
it. It appears to be a kind of picklock, an open sesame, Tanner--Tawno!
the one is but a modification of the other; they were originally
identical, and have still much the same signification. Tanner, in the
language of the apple-woman, meaneth the smallest of English silver
coins; and Tawno, in the language of the Petulengros, though bestowed
upon the biggest of the Romans, according to strict interpretation,
signifieth a little child.

So I left the bridge, retracing my steps for a considerable way, as I
thought I had seen enough in the direction in which I had hitherto been
wandering; I should say that I scarcely walked less than thirty miles
about the big city on the day of my first arrival. Night came on, but
still I was walking about, my eyes wide open, and admiring everything
that presented itself to them. Everything was new to me, for everything
is different in London from what it is elsewhere--the people, their
language, the horses, the _tout ensemble_--even the stones of London are
different from others--at least, it appeared to me that I had never
walked with the same ease and facility on the flagstones of a country
town as on those of London; so I continued roving about till night came
on, and then the splendour of some of the shops particularly struck me.
"A regular Arabian Nights' entertainment!" said I, as I looked into one
on Cornhill, gorgeous with precious merchandise, and lighted up with
lustres, the rays of which were reflected from a hundred mirrors.

But, notwithstanding the excellence of the London pavement, I began about
nine o'clock to feel myself thoroughly tired; painfully and slowly did I
drag my feet along. I also felt very much in want of some refreshment,
and I remembered that since breakfast I had taken nothing. I was now in
the Strand, and, glancing about, I perceived that I was close by an
hotel, which bore over the door the somewhat remarkable name of Holy
Lands. Without a moment's hesitation I entered a well-lighted pas