rd, 'which, after all, might not be the case; but, however that may
be, it is too late now. I think myself the horse has been sold for too
little money, but if so all the better for the young man, who came
forward when no other body did with his money in his hand. There, take
yourselves out of my bar,' said he to the fellows; 'and a pretty
scoundrel you,' said he to the man of the red waistcoat, 'to say the
horse has been sold too cheap, why, it was only yesterday you said he was
good for nothing, and were passing all kinds of jokes at him. Take
yourself out of my bar, I say, you and all of you,' and he turned the
fellows out. I then asked the landlord whether he would permit the horse
to remain in the stable for a short time, provided I paid for his
entertainment, and on his willingly consenting, I treated my friends with
ale, and then returned with them to the encampment.

That evening I informed Mr. Petulengro and his party that on the morrow I
intended to mount my horse, and leave that part of the country in quest
of adventures; inquiring of Jasper where, in the event of my selling the
horse advantageously, I might meet with him, and repay the money I had
borrowed of him; whereupon Mr. Petulengro informed me that in about ten
weeks I might find him at a certain place at the Chong gav. I then
stated that as I could not well carry with me the property which I
possessed in the dingle, which after all was of no considerable value, I
resolved to bestow the said property, namely, the pony, tent,
tinker-tools, etc., on Ursula and her husband, partly because they were
poor, and partly on account of the great kindness which I bore to Ursula,
from whom I had, on various occasions, experienced all manner of
civility, particularly in regard to crabbed words. On hearing this
intelligence, Ursula returned many thanks to her gentle brother as she
called me, and Sylvester was so overjoyed that, casting aside his usual
phlegm, he said I was the best friend he had ever had in the world, and
in testimony of his gratitude swore that he would permit me to give his
wife a choomer in the presence of the whole company, which offer,
however, met with a very mortifying reception; the company frowning
disapprobation, Ursula protesting against anything of the kind, and I
myself showing no forwardness to avail myself of it, having inherited
from nature a considerable fund of modesty, to which was added no slight
store acquired in the cours