Well, after you were gone, I
felt all the better for your talk, and what you had made me drink,
and it was a mercy that I did feel better; for my niece was gone
out, poor thing, and I was left alone in the house, without a soul
to look at, or to keep me from doing myself a mischief in case I
was so inclined. Well, things wore on in this way till it grew
dusk, when in came that blackguard Hunter with his train to drink
at my expense, and to insult me as usual; there were more than a
dozen of them, and a pretty set they looked. Well, they ordered
about in a very free and easy manner for upwards of an hour and a
half, occasionally sneering and jeering at me, as they had been in
the habit of doing for some time past; so, as I said before, things
wore on, and other customers came in, who, though they did not
belong to Hunter's gang, also passed off their jokes upon me; for,
as you perhaps know, we English are a set of low hounds, who will
always take part with the many by way of making ourselves safe, and
currying favour with the stronger side. I said little or nothing,
for my spirits had again become very low, and I was verily scared
and afraid. All of a sudden I thought of the ale which I had drank
in the morning, and of the good it did me then, so I went into the
bar, opened another bottle, took a glass, and felt better; so I
took another, and feeling better still, I went back into the
kitchen, just as Hunter and his crew were about leaving.
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