Part 39 (2/2)

”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 ht him of his companions, and acquainted mine host of the Sandboys that his partner Short, Nell and her grandfather th 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 co, rushed into the kitchen and took the cover off The effect was electrical They all ca from their clothes upon the floor, and Short's first remark was: ”What a delicious set rain and ht rooar themselves, as Mr Codlin had already done, in the warot their late troubles or only rehts of the present tie footsteps were now heard without, and fresh company entered

These were no other than four very dis in one after the other, headed by an old bandy dog of particularlywhen the last of his followers had got as far as the door, erected his and looked round at his corave and melancholy row Nor was this the only res, for each of theaudy colour triles, and one of them had a cap upon his head, tied very carefully under his chin, which had fallen down upon his nose and coaudy 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 Thomas Codlin, however, was in the least surprised, s, and that Jerry could not be far behind So there the dogs stood, patiently winking and gaping and looking extre 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 s, was a tall black-whiskered man in a velveteen coat, who seeuests and accosted the hian which he placed upon a chair, and retaining in his hand a small ith 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 custo a little on the road to-day, and we come out with a neardrobe 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 s when there was no occasion, and falling down again

The landlord now busied hiingly assisted by setting forth his own knife and fork in thehi was ready, the landlord took off the cover for the last tioodly proain 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, andbeen previously set round, little Nell ventured to say grace, and supper began

At this juncture the poor dogs were standing on their hind legs quite surprisingly; the child, having pity on them, was about to cast sory though she hen their master interposed

”No, my dear, no, not an ato,” said Jerry, pointing out the old leader of the troop, and speaking in a terrible voice, ”lost a halfpenny to-day _He_ goes without his supper”

The unfortunate creature dropped upon his forelegs directly, wagged his tail, and looked ily at his master

”Youcoolly to the chair where he had placed the organ, and setting the stop ”Come here Now, sir, you play away at that, while we have supper, and leave off if you dare”

The dog irindshown him the whip, resumed his seat and called up the others, who, at his directions, forht as a file of soldiers

”Now, gentle whose nas whose names an't called, keep quiet

Carlo”

The lucky individual whose name was called, snapped up the morsel throards him, but none of the others moved a muscle In this manner they were fed at the discretion of their an, so off for an instant When the knives and forks rattled very e piece of fat, he accompanied the music with a short howl, but he i round, and applied hience to the Old Hundredth

dickENS: ”Old Curiosity Shop”

So, when a great ht he leaves behind him lies Upon the paths of men

LONGFELLOW