hearty sniff of the fragrance that was
hovering about, put on the cover again with the air of one whose toils
on earth were over.

"At what time will it be ready?" asked Mr. Codlin, faintly.

"It'll be done to a turn," said the landlord looking up to the
clock--and the very clock had a colour in its fat white face, and looked
a clock for Jolly Sandboys to consult--"it'll be done to a turn at
twenty-two minutes before eleven."

Mr. Codlin now bethought him of his companions, and acquainted mine host
of the Sandboys that his partner Short, Nell and her grandfather might
shortly be looked for. At length they arrived drenched with rain and
presenting a most miserable appearance. But their steps were no sooner
heard upon the road than the landlord, who had been at the outer door
anxiously watching for their coming, rushed into the kitchen and took
the cover off. The effect was electrical. They all came in with smiling
faces though the wet was dripping from their clothes upon the floor, and
Short's first remark was: "What a delicious smell!"

It is not very difficult to forget rain and mud by the side of a
cheerful fire, and in a bright room. They were furnished with slippers
and such dry garments as the house or their own bundles afforded, and
seating themselves, as Mr. Codlin had already done, in the warm
chimney-corner, soon forgot their late troubles or only remembered them
as enhancing the delights of the present time.

Strange footsteps were now heard without, and fresh company entered.
These were no other than four very dismal dogs, who came pattering in
one after the other, headed by an old bandy dog of particularly mournful
aspect, who, stopping when the last of his followers had got as far as
the door, erected himself upon his hind legs and looked round at his
companions, who immediately stood upon their hind legs, in a grave and
melancholy row. Nor was this the only remarkable circumstance about
these dogs, for each of them wore a kind of little coat of some gaudy
colour trimmed with tarnished spangles, and one of them had a cap upon
his head, tied very carefully under his chin, which had fallen down upon
his nose and completely obscured one eye; add to this, that the gaudy
coats were all wet through and discoloured with rain, and that the
wearers were splashed and dirty, and some idea may be formed of the
unusual appearance of these new visitors to the Jolly Sandboys.

Neither Short nor the landlord nor Thom