? I am
glad to see you, come this way. Stand back,' said he to his company, as
I followed him to the bar, 'stand back for me and this gentleman.' Two
or three young fellows were in the bar, seemingly sporting yokels,
drinking sherry and smoking. 'Come, gentlemen,' said the landlord,
'clear the bar, I must have a clear bar for me and my friend here.'
'Landlord, what will you take?' said one--'a glass of sherry? I know you
like it.' '--- sherry and you too,' said the landlord; 'I want neither
sherry nor yourself; didn't you hear what I told you?' 'All right, old
fellow,' said the other, shaking the landlord by the hand--'all right;
don't wish to intrude--but I suppose when you and your friend have done I
may come in again.' Then, with 'A sarvant, sir,' to me, he took himself
into the kitchen, followed by the rest of the sporting yokels.

Thereupon the landlord, taking a bottle of ale from a basket, uncorked
it, and pouring the contents into two large glasses, handed me one, and
motioning me to sit down, placed himself by me; then, emptying his own
glass at a draught, he gave a kind of grunt of satisfaction, and fixing
his eyes upon the opposite side of the bar, remained motionless, without
saying a word, buried apparently in important cogitations. With respect
to myself, I swallowed my ale more leisurely, and was about to address my
friend, when his niece, coming into the bar, said that more and more
customers were arriving, and how she should supply their wants she did
not know, unless her uncle would get up and help her.

'The customers!' said the landlord, 'let the scoundrels wait till you
have time to serve them, or till I have leisure to see after them.' 'The
kitchen won't contain half of them,' said his niece. 'Then let them sit
out abroad,' said the landlord. 'But there are not benches enough,
uncle,' said the niece. 'Then let them stand or sit on the ground,' said
the uncle; 'what care I? I'll let them know that the man who beat Tom of
Hopton stands as well again on his legs as ever.' Then, opening a side
door which led from the bar into the back-yard, he beckoned me to follow
him. 'You treat your customers in rather a cavalier manner,' said I,
when we were alone together in the yard.

'Don't I?' said the landlord; 'and I'll treat them more so yet; now I
have got the whip-hand of the rascals I intend to keep it. I dare say
you are a bit surprised with regard to the change which has come over
thi