The tea was very weak, and very warm, and very sweet; but Mr.Sparsfield and his son sipped it with as great an air of enjoyment as if it had been the most inspiring of beverages.
Mr.Sparsfield the elder was more or less rheumatic and asthmatic, but a cheerful old man withal, and quite ready to prate of old times, when Barbican and Aldersgate-street were pleasanter places than they are to-day, or had seemed so to this elderly citizen.
"Meynell!" he exclaimed; "I knew Sam Meynell as well as I knew my own brother, and I knew old Christian Meynell almost as well as I knew my own father.

There was more sociability in those days, you see, sir.

The world seems to have grown too full to leave any room for friendship.
It's all push and struggle, and struggle and push, as you may say; and a man will make you a frame for five-and-twenty shillings that will look more imposing like than what I could turn out for five pound, Only the gold-leaf will all drop off after a twelvemonth's wear; and that's the way of the world nowadays.

There's a deal of gilding, and things are made to look uncommon bright; but the gold all drops off 'em before long." After allowing the old man to moralise to his heart's content, I brought him back politely to the subject in which I was interested.
"Samuel Meynell was as good a fellow as ever breathed," he said; "but he was too fond of the tavern.

There were some very nice taverns round about Aldersgate-street in those days; and you see, sir, the times were stirring times, and folks liked to get together and talk over the day's news, with a pipe of tobacco and a glass of their favourite liquor, all in a sociable way.