I am also ready to do anything in reason for him who paid me for the ale he drank, when I shouldn’t have had the heart to collar him for the money had he refused to pay; who never jeered or flouted me like the rest of my customers when I was a down pin—­and though he refused to fight cross for me was never cross with me, but listened to all I had to say, and gave me all kinds of good advice.  Now who do you think I mean by this last? why, who but yourself—­who on earth but yourself?  The parson is a good man and a great preacher, and I’ll knock anybody down who says to the contrary; and I mention him first, because why; he’s a gentleman, and you a tinker.  But I am by no means sure you are not the best friend of the two; for I doubt, do you see, whether I should have had the fifty pounds but for you.  You persuaded me to give up that silly drink they call sherry, and drink ale; and what was it but drinking ale which gave me courage to knock down that fellow Hunter—­and knocking him down was, I verily believe, the turning point of my disorder.  God don’t love them who won’t strike out for themselves; and as far as I can calculate with respect to time, it was just the moment after I had knocked down Hunter, that the parson consented to lend me the money, and everything began to grow civil to me.  So, dash my buttons if I show the ungrateful mind to you!  I don’t offer to knock anybody down for you, because why—­I dare say you can knock a body down yourself; but I’ll offer something more to the purpose; as my business is wonderfully on the increase, I shall want somebody to help me in serving my customers, and keeping them in order.  If you choose to come and serve for your board, and what they’ll give you, give me your fist; or if you like ten shillings a week better than their sixpences and ha’pence, only say so—­though, to be open with you, I believe you would make twice ten shillings out of them—­the sneaking, fawning, curry-favouring humbugs!”

“I am much obliged to you,” said I, “for your handsome offer, which, however, I am obliged to decline.”

“Why so?” said the landlord.

“I am not fit for service,” said I; “moreover, I am about to leave this part of the country.”  As I spoke a horse neighed in the stable.  “What horse is that?” said I.

“It belongs to a cousin of mine, who put it into my hands yesterday in the hopes that I might get rid of it for him, though he would no more have done so a week ago, when he considered me a down pin, than he would have given the horse away.  Are you fond of horses?”

“Very much,” said I.

“Then come and look at it.”  He led me into the stable, where, in a stall, stood a noble-looking animal.

“Dear me,” said I, “I saw this horse at—­fair.”

“Like enough,” said the landlord; “he was there and was offered for seventy pounds, but didn’t find a bidder at any price.  What do you think of him?”