se of this mortal life."

This train pursued him till he reached the town, and put up his horse at
the inn. By that time it was quite dark, and he had tasted nothing since
early in the morning. He therefore ordered supper, and the landlord, by
whom he was now well known--a good, old, honest, country landlord of the
olden time--brought in the meal himself, and waited on his guest at
table. It was so much the custom of gentlemen, in those days, to order
wine whenever they stopped at an inn--it was looked upon so much as a
matter of course that this should be done for the good of the
house--that the landlord, without any direct commands to that effect,
brought in a bottle of his very best old sherry, always a favorite wine
with the English people, though now hardly to be got, and placed it by
the side of his guest. Marlow was by habit no drinker of much wine. He
avoided, as much as in him lay, the deep potations then almost universal
in England; but, not without an object, he that night gave in to a
custom which was very common in England then, and for many years
afterwards, and requested the landlord, after the meal was over, to sit
down, and help him with his bottle.

"You'll need another bottle, if I once begin, Master Marlow," said the
jolly landlord, who was a wag in his way.

Marlow nodded his head significantly, as if he were prepared for the
infliction, replying quietly, "Under the influence of your good chat,
Mr. Cherrydew, I can bear it, I think."

"Well, that's hearty," said the landlord, drawing a chair sideways to
the table; for his vast rotundity prevented him from approaching it full
front. "Here's to your very good health, sir, and may you never drink
worse wine, sit in a colder room, or have a sadder companion."

Now I have said that Marlow did not invite the landlord to join him,
without an object. That object was to obtain information, and it had
struck him even while the trout, which formed the first dish at his
supper, was being placed on the table, that he might be able, if
willing, to afford it.

Landlords in England at that time--I mean, of course, in country
towns--were very different in many respects, and of a different class
from what they are at present. In the first place, they were not fine
gentlemen: in the next place, they were not discharged valets de
chambre, or butlers, who, having cheated their masters handsomely, and
perhaps laid them under contribution in many ways, retire to enj