The ostler, to whom I had given the half-crown, occasionally
assisted me, though he was too much occupied by the horses of other
guests to devote any length of time to the service of mine; he more
than once repeated to me his firm conviction that himself and
partners could afford to offer me summut for the horse; and at a
later hour when, in compliance with his invitation, I took a glass
of summut with himself and partners, in a little room surrounded
with corn-chests, on which we sat, both himself and partners
endeavoured to impress upon me, chiefly by means of nods and winks,
their conviction that they could afford to give me summut for the
horse, provided I were disposed to sell him; in return for which
intimation, with as many nods and winks as they had all
collectively used, I endeavoured to impress upon them my conviction
that I could get summut handsomer in the fair than they might be
disposed to offer me, seeing as how--which how I followed by a wink
and a nod, which they seemed perfectly to understand, one or two of
them declaring that if the case was so, it made a great deal of
difference, and that they did not wish to be any hindrance to me,
more particularly as it was quite clear I had been an ostler like
themselves.
It was late at night when I began to think of retiring to rest.
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