He never denied himself the gratification of the slightest whim, whatever expense he might himself incur, or whatever trouble he might give to those about him; and all was done under protestation, that the matter in question was the most indifferent thing to him in the world.

"What the devil did he care for Burgess's sauces, he that had eat his kouscousou, spiced with nothing but the sand of the desert?
only it was a shame for Mrs.Dods to be without what every decent house, above the rank of an alehouse, ought to be largely provided with." In short, he fussed, fretted, commanded, and was obeyed; kept the house in hot water, and yet was so truly good-natured when essential matters were in discussion, that it was impossible to bear him the least ill-will; so that Mrs.Dods, though in a moment of spleen she sometimes wished him at the top of Tintock,[I-F] always ended by singing forth his praises.

She could not, indeed, help suspecting that he was a Nabob, as well from his conversation about foreign parts, as from his freaks of indulgence to himself, and generosity to others,--attributes which she understood to be proper to most "Men of Ind." But although the reader has heard her testify a general dislike to this species of Fortune's favourites, Mrs.Dods had sense enough to know, that a Nabob living in the neighbourhood, who raises the price of eggs and poultry upon the good housewives around, was very different from a Nabob residing within her own gates, drawing all his supplies from her own larder, and paying, without hesitation or question, whatever bills her conscience permitted her to send in.

In short, to come back to the point at which we perhaps might have stopped some time since, landlady and guest were very much pleased with each other.
But Ennui finds entrance into every scene, when the gloss of novelty is over; and the fiend began to seize upon Mr.Touchwood just when he had got all matters to his mind in the Cleikum Inn--had instructed Dame Dods in the mysteries of curry and mullegatawny--drilled the chambermaid into the habit of making his bed at the angle recommended by Sir John Sinclair--and made some progress in instructing the humpbacked postilion in the Arabian mode of grooming.

Pamphlets and newspapers, sent from London and from Edinburgh by loads, proved inadequate to rout this invader of Mr.Touchwood's comfort; and, at last, he bethought himself of company.