I wish you had but seen how my company
looked at me and at each other. One or two of the clan went to
raise Hunter, and get him to fight, but it was no go; though he was
not killed, he had had enough for that evening. Oh, I wish you had
seen my customers; those who did not belong to the clan, but who
had taken part with them, and helped to jeer and flout me, now came
and shook me by the hand, wishing me joy, and saying as, how 'I was
a brave fellow, and had served the bully right!' As for the clan,
they all said Hunter was bound to do me justice; so they made him
pay me what he owed for himself, and the reckoning of those among
them who said they had no money. Two or three of them then led him
away, while the rest stayed behind, and flattered me, and
worshipped me, and called Hunter all kinds of dogs' names. What do
you think of that?"
"Why," said I, "it makes good what I read in a letter which I
received yesterday. It is just the way of the world."
"A'n't it," said the landlord. "Well, that a'n't all; let me go
on. Good fortune never yet came alone. In about an hour comes
home my poor niece, almost in high sterricks with joy, smiling and
sobbing. She had been to the clergyman of M---, the great
preacher, to whose church she was in the habit of going, and to
whose daughters she was well known; and to him she told a
lamentable tale about my distresses, and about the snares which had
been laid for my soul; and so well did she plead my cause, and so
strong did the young ladies back all she said, that the good
clergyman promised to stand my friend, and to lend me sufficient
money to satisfy the brewer, and to get my soul out of the snares
of the man in black; and sure enough the next morning the two young
ladies brought me the fifty pounds, which I forthwith carried to
the brewer, who was monstrously civil, saying that he hoped any
little misunderstanding we had had would not prevent our being good
friends in future.
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