as Codlin, however, was in the
least surprised, merely remarking that these were Jerry's dogs, and that
Jerry could not be far behind. So there the dogs stood, patiently
winking and gaping and looking extremely hard at the boiling pot, until
Jerry himself appeared, when they all dropped down at once, and walked
about the room in their natural manner. This posture, it must be
confessed, did not much improve their appearance, as their own personal
tails and their coat tails--both capital things in their way--did not
agree together.

Jerry, the manager of these dancing dogs, was a tall black-whiskered man
in a velveteen coat, who seemed well known to the landlord and his
guests and accosted them with great cordiality. Disencumbering himself
of a barrel organ which he placed upon a chair, and retaining in his
hand a small whip wherewith to awe his company of comedians, he came up
to the fire to dry himself, and entered into conversation.

"Your people don't usually travel in character, do they?" said Short,
pointing to the dresses of the dogs. "It must come expensive, if they
do."

"No," replied Jerry, "no, it's not the custom with us. But we've been
playing a little on the road to-day, and we come out with a new wardrobe
at the races, so I didn't think it worth while to stop to undress. Down,
Pedro!"

This was addressed to the dog with the cap on, who, being a new member
of the company, and not quite certain of his duty, kept his unobscured
eye anxiously on his master, and was perpetually starting up on his hind
legs when there was no occasion, and falling down again.

The landlord now busied himself in laying the cloth, in which process
Mr. Codlin obligingly assisted by setting forth his own knife and fork
in the most convenient place and establishing himself behind them. When
everything was ready, the landlord took off the cover for the last time,
and then, indeed, there burst forth such a goodly promise of supper,
that if he had offered to put it on again or had hinted at postponement,
he would certainly have been sacrificed on his own hearth.

However, he did nothing of the kind, but instead assisted a stout
servant girl in turning the contents of the cauldron into a large
tureen; a proceeding which the dogs, proof against various hot splashes
which fell upon their noses, watched with terrible eagerness. At length
the dish was lifted on the table, and mugs of ale having been previously
set round, little Nell ven