Orley Farm

ppearance only and not by the ear, one would be inclined to doubt that he could be a very sharp attorney abroad

re persuasion was required, mystify when mystification was needed, and express with accuracy the tone of an obedient

no attraction, and at nine o'clock he had seated himself before the fire in the commercial room at The Bull, had called for a pair of public slippers, and was about to solace all his cares with a glass of mahogany-coloured brandy and water and a cigar. The room had no present occupant but hims

hich the accustomed eye of a waiter recognises at a glance. And here it may be well to explain that ordinary travellers are in this respect badly treated by the customs of England, or rather by the hotel-keepers. All inn-keepers have commercial rooms, as certainly as they have taps and bars, but all of them do not have commercial rooms in the

his own question. But Mr. Dockwrath was not a man to be put down by a waiter. "Yes," said he. "Didn't you hear me say so?" And then

en who are not known are shy, diffident, doubtful, and anxious to propitiate the chambermaid by great courtesy. The men who are known are loud, jocular, and assured;-or else, in case of deficient accommodation, loud, angry, and full of threats. The guests who had now arrived were well known, and seemed at present to be in the former mood. "Well, Mary, my dea

of his fat chin. In spite of his overwhelming fatness, there was something in his face that was masterful and almost vicious. His body had been overcome by eating, but not as yet his spirit-one would be inclined to say. This was Mr. Moulder, well known on the road as being in the grocery and spirit line; a pushing man, who understood his business, and was well trusted by his firm in spite of his habitual intempera

hat he did not look you in the face, but he always looked at you with a sidelong glance, never choosing to have you straight in front of him. And the more eager he was in conversation-the more anxious he might be to gain his point, the more he averted his face and looked askance; so that sometimes he would prefer to have his antagonist almost behind his shoulder. And then as he did this, he would thrust forward his chin, and having looked at you round the corner till his eyes were nearly out of his head, he would close them both and suck in his lips, and shake his head with rapid little shakes, as though he were saying to himself, "Ah, sir! you're a bad un, a very bad un

doubt about his employers, Hubbles and Grease of Houndsditch. Hubbles and Grease were all right, as they had been any time for the last twenty years. But I cannot say that there was quite so strong a confidence felt in the Patent Steel

oped, and Mr. Kantwise performed the same operation for himself, carefully folding up the articles of clothing as he took them off. Then Mr. Moulder fixed his e

the 8.22 dow

ked Mr. Moulder,

self, anyways,"

ys does with the Dodoes. Mr. Moulder now began to be angry, for he was a stickler for the rights and privileges of his class, and had an idea that the world was not so conservative in that respect as i

his forehead about in his attempt at a frown. In spite of his terrible burden of flesh, Mr. Moulder could look an

yes from off the Leeds and Halifax Chronicl

tive. But he did expect that the gentleman would have acknowledged the weakness of his footing, by moving himself a little towards one side of the fire, and he did not expect that he would have presumed to smo

e ever presumed to take the chair at the four o'clock commercial dinner if he were present. It was incumbent on him to stand forward and make a fight, more especially in the presence of Kantwise, who was by no means stanch to his order.

going to have a bit of supper, and it ain't accustomed to smoke in commercial rooms during meals. You

n it was necessary that he should hit the stranger in some way, and the chances were that the stranger would know nothing about commercial law. Nor did he; so he merely looked Mr.

wrong there, Mr. Moulder

der, turning very sharply upo

It's nine o'clock, a

other, "but when I'm going to have a bit of steak with m

with a pipe in your mouth, and half a dozen gents eating their teas the

r your

as you spok

he had received. "Has the gentleman any right to be in this room at all, or has

re there, I must al

ng the controversy;-and now Mr. Moulder was determined to do his duty and vindicate his professi

battle. "Sir," said he, turning to Mr. Moulder, "I think you'll find it extremely difficult to defin

r!" said M

mon," said

rd in its broadest, strictest, and most intelligible sense, I am a commercial gentleman; a

ell put," said

f standing within three feet of his elbow. "Is this gent a commercial, or is he not? Because if not,-then I'll trouble you

ped out, down the s

?" said Moulder, becoming redder and s

poor man. "Was I to go to contradict a gent and

mmercial room, and he did his duty in showing me to the door of it. The fact I take to be this; in the sout

bserved that,"

shire, and Wiltshire," said Moulder, "and the commer

rey and Kent," sa

Surrey and Kent," said Kantwise. "The

no more to say, of course," said Moulder. "And in that case, I, for one, shall be very happy if the gentleman

the use of bottling oneself up? that's what I always say. Besides, there's no charity in it. We gents a

. Whether or no there was any touch of irony in his tone, Mr. Moulder's ears were not fine enough to discover. So they now sat round the fire together, the attorney still keeping his seat in the middle. And then Mr. Moulder ordered his little bit of steak with his tea. "With the

ot; I dined at t

inner at three won't last a man fo

t such a thing as a nice red

ound the c

relish with my tea. I'm not so fond of your solid

steak, we may presume, was cooked aright, as Mr. Moulder did not visit the kitchen, and Mr. Kantwise no doub

e, addressing himself to Mr. Moulder, as soon as the things had been cleared from the tab

troubling himself to take his pipe from his mouth, "Mason an

" said Kantwise, turning away his face, and looki

e is all his own, I take it. Have you been at him

't understand that you're at your jokes. I was doing business a

plete the t

e's close enough himself, is Mr. Mason. But his lady,

; nor it ain't what I've been accustomed to. If a man's wholesale, let him be wholesale." And then, h

Kantwise, looking round the corner, then

with your goods on your back. It ain't trade." And then there was a lull in the conversation, Mr. Kantwise, who was a

were talking about one Mr. Mason who

roby Park," said Mr. Kantwise, now

ikely to find him at ho

acquaintance with Mr. Mason, sir? If so, I meant nothing offensive

r the gentleman either;-only that

atterns with me, and they're no weight at all,-none in the least, sir. They go on behind, and you wouldn't know it, sir." To this, how

I hope," said

least," said

nd, and his eyes fast closed. "I think, sir, I could show you an article that would please you very much. You see, sir, that new ideas are coming in every day, and wood, sir, is altogether going out,-altogether going out

rubber," sai

wonderful too. Are y

o; not e

oney;-ornamented in the tastiest way, sir, and fit for any lady's drawing-room or boodoor. The ladies of quality are all getting them now for their boodoors. There's three tables, eight chairs, easy rocking-chair, music-stand, stool to match, and pair of stand-up screens, all gilt in real Louey c

les are not in my lin

hings have come out at all. You'll let me show you the articles, sir. It will give me the sincerest pleasure

at all in my way,"

aying Mr. Kantwise skipped out of the room, and soon returned with James and Boots, each of the three bearing on his shoulder a deal box nearly as big as a coffin, all of which were

own paper in which the various pieces of painted iron were enveloped, and with what a practised hand he put together one article after another. First there was a round loo-table, not quite so large in its circumference as some people might think desirable, but, nevertheless, a round loo-table. The pedestal with its three claws was all together. With a knowing touch Mr. Kantwise separated

ble number two, which was, as he described it, a "chess," having the proper number of blue and light-pink squares marked upon it; but this also had been made Louey catorse with reference to its legs and edges. The third table was a "sofa," of proper shape, but rather small in size. Then, one after another, he brought forth and screwed up the chairs, stools, and sundry screens, and within a quarter

n and sole delectation any article or articles, how can he avoid eulogium? Mr. Dockwrath fo

itey-brown paper which had been laid aside, carefully spread one on the centre of the round table, and the other on the seat of one of the chairs. Then lightly poising himself on his toe, he stepped on to the chair, and from thence on to the table. In that position he skillfully brought his feet tog

ing like iron,

to E

uld allow you to stand on her rosewood or mahogany loo-table. And if she did, you would not like to adventure it yourself. But

r iron traps out, have you?" said he. "What; you're

would bear five-and-twenty stone. Joe, lend me your shoulder, there's a good fellow." And th

at I call gammo

ulder?" said the other,

and tables is gammon, and so

call your tea and cof

them. But as for all that show-off and gimcrack-work, I tell you fairly it ain't what I call trade, and it ain't fit for

go too," said

you up the set, eh?

o-night. Good night, sir; I'm very much obliged to you." And he too went, leaving M