Page:Cerise, a tale of the last century (IA cerisetaleoflast00whytrich).pdf/420

 *headed potboy, with a dirty apron—half-a-dozen more hangers-on of both sexes, each carrying something that had been forgotten—more oaths, more protestations, more discussions, and at least ten more minutes of the waning day unnecessarily wasted—then the coachman, bending forward, chirped and shouted—the poor sore-shouldered horses jerked, strained, and scrambled, plunging one by one at their collars, and leaning in heavily against the pole—the huge machine creaked, tottered, wavered, and finally jingled on at a promising pace enough, which, after about twenty yards, degenerated into the faintest apology for a trot.

But the portly landlady looked after it nevertheless well pleased; for its freight had carried off a goodly quantity of fermented liquors, leaving in exchange many welcome pieces of silver and copper to replenish the insatiable till.

Mrs. Dodge had but lately come to reside at the "Hamilton Arms." Originally a plump comely lass, only daughter of a drunken old blacksmith at Nether-Hamilton, and inheriting what was termed in that frugal locality "a tidy bit of money," she was sought in marriage by a south-*country pedlar, who visited her native village in the exercise of his calling, and whose silver tongue persuaded her to leave kith and kin and country for his sake. After many ups and downs in life, chiefly the result of her husband's rascality, she found herself established in a southern sea-*port, at a pot-house called the "Fox and Fiddle," doing, as she expressed it, "a pretty business enough," in the way of crimping for the merchant service; and here, previous to the death of her husband, known by his familiars as "Butter-faced Bob," she made the acquaintance of Sir George Hamilton, then simple captain of 'The Bashful Maid,' little dreaming she would ever become his tenant so near her old home.

Mrs. Dodge made lamentable outcries for her pedlar when she lost him; but there can be no question she was much better off after his death. He was dishonest, irritable, self-indulgent, harsh; and she had probably no better time of it at the "Fox and Fiddle" than is enjoyed by any other healthy, easy-tempered woman, whose husband