"I am not one of them; but I learnt it from them, a great many years ago, when I was much amongst them.

Those whose employers were in a small way of business, or allowed them insufficient salaries, frequently used to 'box Harry,' that is, have a beaf-steak, or mutton-chop, or perhaps bacon and eggs, as I am going to have, along with tea and ale, instead of the regular dinner of a commercial gentleman, namely, fish, hot joint, and fowl, pint of sherry, tart, ale and cheese, and bottle of old port, at the end of all." Having made arrangements for "boxing Harry" I went into the tap-room, from which I had heard the voice of Mr Pritchard proceeding during the whole of my conversation with his wife.

Here I found the worthy landlord seated with a single customer; both were smoking.

The customer instantly arrested my attention.

He was a man, seemingly about forty years of age with a broad red face, with certain somethings, looking very much like incipient carbuncles, here and there, upon it.