CHAPTER XVII.
The Public-house--Landlord on His Legs Again--A Blow in Season--The Way of the World--The Grateful Mind--The Horse's Neigh.
It was rather late on the following morning when I awoke.

At first I was almost unconscious of what had occurred on the preceding day; recollection, however, by degrees returned, and I felt a deep melancholy coming over me, but perfectly aware that no advantage could be derived from the indulgence of such a feeling, I sprang up, prepared my breakfast, which I ate with a tolerable appetite, and then left the dingle, and betook myself to the gypsy encampment, where I entered into discourse with various Romanies, both male and female.

After some time, feeling myself in better spirits, I determined to pay another visit to the landlord of the public-house.

From the position of his affairs when I had last visited him I entertained rather gloomy ideas with respect to his present circumstances.

I imagined that I should either find him alone in his kitchen smoking a wretched pipe, or in company with some surly bailiff or his follower, whom his friend the brewer had sent into the house in order to take possession of his effects.
Nothing more entirely differing from either of these anticipations could have presented itself to my view than what I saw about one o'clock in the afternoon, when I entered the house.