第261章 Chapter 81 (6)(1 / 3)

It was a long time, too, before there was such a country inn as theMaypole, in all England: indeed it is a great question whetherthere has ever been such another to this hour, or ever will be. Itwas a long time too--for Never, as the proverb says, is a long day- before they forgot to have an interest in wounded soldiers at theMaypole, or before Joe omitted to refresh them, for the sake of hisold campaign; or before the serjeant left off looking in there, nowand then; or before they fatigued themselves, or each other, bytalking on these occasions of battles and sieges, and hard weatherand hard service, and a thousand things belonging to a soldier"slife. As to the great silver snuff-box which the King sent Joewith his own hand, because of his conduct in the Riots, what guestever went to the Maypole without putting finger and thumb into thatbox, and taking a great pinch, though he had never taken a pinch ofsnuff before, and almost sneezed himself into convulsions eventhen? As to the purple-faced vintner, where is the man who livedin those times and never saw HIM at the Maypole: to all appearanceas much at home in the best room, as if he lived there? And as tothe feastings and christenings, and revellings at Christmas, andcelebrations of birthdays, wedding-days, and all manner of days,both at the Maypole and the Golden Key,--if they are not notorious,what facts are?

Mr Willet the elder, having been by some extraordinary meanspossessed with the idea that Joe wanted to be married, and that itwould be well for him, his father, to retire into private life, andenable him to live in comfort, took up his abode in a small cottage at Chigwell; where they widened and enlarged the fireplace for him,hung up the boiler, and furthermore planted in the little gardenoutside the front-door, a fictitious Maypole; so that he was quiteat home directly. To this, his new habitation, Tom Cobb, PhilParkes, and Solomon Daisy went regularly every night: and in thechimney-corner, they all four quaffed, and smoked, and prosed, anddozed, as they had done of old. It being accidentally discoveredafter a short time that Mr Willet still appeared to considerhimself a landlord by profession, Joe provided him with a slate,upon which the old man regularly scored up vast accounts for meat,drink, and tobacco. As he grew older this passion increased uponhim; and it became his delight to chalk against the name of each ofhis cronies a sum of enormous magnitude, and impossible to be paid: