t,' who is equally adroit in spoiling ground
and improving ground rent."

"What do you mean?"

"Ah! thereby hangs a tale. But we are near the place now; you will see a
curious set."

As Tomlinson said this, the pair approached a house standing alone, and
seemingly without any other abode in the vicinity. It was of curious
and grotesque shape, painted white, with a Gothic chimney, a Chinese
sign-post (on which was depicted a gentleman fishing, with the words
"The Jolly Angler" written beneath), and a porch that would have been
Grecian if it had not been Dutch. It stood in a little field, with a
hedge behind it, and the common in front. Augustus stopped at the door;
and while he paused, bursts of laughter rang cheerily within.

"Ah, the merry boys!" he muttered; "I long to be with them;" and then
with his clenched fist he knocked four times on the door. There was a
sudden silence which lasted about a minute, and was broken by a voice
within, asking who was there. Tomlinson answered by some cabalistic
word; the door was opened, and a little boy presented himself.

"Well, my lad," said Augustus, "and how is your master? Stout and
hearty, if I may judge by his voice."

"Ay, Master Tommy, ay, he's boosing away at a fine rate, in the
back-parlour, with Mr. Pepper and Fighting Attie, and half-a-score more
of them. He'll be woundy glad to see you, I'll be bound."

"Show this gentleman into the bar," rejoined Augustus, "while I go and
pay my respects to honest Geordie."

The boy made a sort of a bow, and leading our hero into the bar,
consigned him to the care of Sal, a buxom barmaid, who reflected
credit on the taste of the landlord, and who received Paul with marked
distinction and a gill of brandy.

Paul had not long to play the amiable, before Tomlinson rejoined him
with the information that Gentleman George would be most happy to see
him in the back-parlour, and that he would there find an old friend in
the person of Mr. Pepper.

"What! is he here?" cried Paul. "The sorry knave, to let me be caged in
his stead!"

"Gently, gently; no misapplication of terms!" said Augustus. "That was
not knavery; that was prudence, the greatest of all virtues, and the
rarest. But come along, and Pepper shall explain to-morrow."

Threading a gallery or passage, Augustus preceded our hero, opened a
door, and introduced him into a long low apartment, where sat, round a
table spread with pipes and liquor, some ten or a dozen men, w