Crockery Literature 2II "During the whole time in which I have been engaged in these studies," said the old man, "only one circumstance has occurred which requires any particular mention-the death of my old friend the surgeon-who was carried off suddenly by a fit of apoplexy. His death was a great shock to me, and for a time interrupted my studies. His son, however, who succeeded him, was very kind to me, and, in some degree, supplied his father's place; and I gradually returned to my Chinese locks and keys. "And in applying keys to the Chinese locks you employ your time?" "Yes," said the old man, "in making out the inscriptions on the various pieces of porcelain, which I have at different times procured, I pass my time. The first inscription which I translated was that on the teapot of my beloved." "And how many other pieces of porcelain may you have at present in your possession?" 66 "" About fifteen hundred. And how did you obtain them?" I demanded. Without much labour," said the old man, "in the neighbouring towns and villages-chiefly at auctions-of which, about twenty years ago, there were many in these parts. "" And may I ask your reasons for confining your studies entirely to the crockery literature of China, when you have all the rest at your disposal?" The inscriptions enable me to pass my time," said the old man; what more would the whole literature of China do?" 66 "And from these inscriptions," said I, "what a book it is in your power to make, whenever so disposed. 'Translations from the crockery literature of China.' Such a book would be sure to take; even glorious John himself would not disdain to publish it." The old man smiled. "I have no desire for literary distinction," said he; "no ambition. My original wish was to pass my life in easy, quiet obscurity, with her whom I loved. I was disappointed in my wish; she was removed, who constituted my only felicity in this life; desolation came to my heart, and misery to my head. To escape from the latter I had recourse to Chinese. By degrees the misery left my head, but the desolation of the heart yet remains.' "Be of good cheer," said I; through the instrumentality of this affliction you have learnt Chinese, and, in so doing, learnt to practise the duties of hospitality. Who but a man who could read Runes on a teapot, would have received an unfortunate wayfarer as you have received me?" Well," said the old man, "let us hope that all is for the best. I am by nature indolent, and, but for this affliction, should, perhaps, have hardly taken the trouble to do my duty to my fellow-creatures. I am very, very indolent," said he, slightly glancing towards the clock; "therefore let us hope that all is for the best; but, oh! these trials, they are very hard to bear." CHAPTER XXXV The Leave-taking—Spirit of the Hearth-What's o'Clock? THE next morning, having breakfasted with my old friend, I went into the stable to make the necessary preparations for my departure; there, with the assistance of a stable lad, I cleaned and caparisoned my horse, and then, returning into the house, I made the old female attendant such a present as I deemed would be some compensation for the trouble I had caused. Hearing that the old gentleman was in his study, I repaired to him. "I am come to take leave of you," said I, “and to thank you for all the hospitality which I have received at your hands." The eyes of the old man were fixed steadfastly on the inscription which I had found him studying on a former occasion. "At length," he murmured to himself, "I have it -I think I have it;" and then, looking at me, he said, "So you are about to depart?" Yes," said I, "my horse will be at the front door in a few minutes; I am glad, however, before I go, to find that you have mastered the inscription. 66 Yes," said the old man, “I believe I have mastered it; it seems to consist of some verses relating to the worship of the Spirit of the Hearth." "What is the Spirit of the Hearth?" said I. "One of the many demons which the Chinese worship," said the old man; "they do not worship one God, but many. And then the old man told me a great many highly-interesting particulars respecting the demon worship of the Chinese. After the lapse of at least half an hour I said, "I must not linger here any longer, however willing. Horncastle is distant, and I wish to be there to-night. Pray can you inform me what's o'clock?" The old man, rising, looked towards the clock which hung on the side of the room at his left hand, on the farther side of the table at which he was seated. "I am rather short-sighted," said I, tinguish the number, at that distance. It is ten o'clock," said the old man ; 66 I and cannot dis I believe some a quarter or—— "Seven minutes, or ten minutes past ten. 'I do not understand you. Why, to tell you the truth," said the old man, with a smile, "there is one thing to the knowledge of which I could never exactly attain.' "Do you mean to say," said I, "that you do not know what's o'clock?" "I can give a guess," said the old man, few minutes.' But you cannot tell the exact moment?" "No," said the old man. to within a "In the name of wonder," said I, "with that thing there on the wall continually ticking in your ear, how comes it that you do not know what's o'clock?" 'Why," said the old man, "I have contented myself with giving a tolerably good guess; to do more would have been too great trouble. 66 But you I have learnt Chinese." 'Well," said I, "I really would counsel you to learn to know what's o'clock as soon as possible. Consider what a sad thing it would be to go out of the world not knowing what's o'clock. A millionth part of the trouble required to learn Chinese would, if employed, infallibly teach you to know what's o'clock." "I had a motive for learning Chinese," said the old man, "the hope of appeasing the misery in my head. With respect to not knowing what's o'clock, I cannot see anything particularly sad in the matter. A man may get through the world very creditably without knowing what's o'clock. Yet, upon the whole, it is no bad thing to know what's o'clock-you, of course, do? It would be too good a joke if two people were to be together, one knowing Armenian and the other Chinese, and neither knowing what's o'clock. I'll now see you off." CHAPTER XXXVI Arrival at Horncastle The Inn and Ostlers-The Garret-Figure of a Man with a Candle. LEAVING the house of the old man who knew Chinese, but could not tell what was o'clock, I wended my way to Horncastle, which I reached in the evening of the same day, without having met any adventure on the way worthy of being marked down in this very remarkable history. 66 The town was a small one, seemingly ancient, and was crowded with people and horses. I proceeded, without delay, to the inn to which my friend the surgeon had directed me. "It is of no use coming here," said two or three ostlers, as I entered the yard-" all full-no room whatever;" whilst one added in an under tone, "That ere a'n't a bad-looking horse." "I want to see the master of this inn," said I, as I dismounted from the horse. See the master," said an ostler—the same who had paid the negative kind of compliment to the horse-" a likely thing, truly; my master is drinking wine with some of the grand gentry, and can't be disturbed for the sake of the like of you." "I bring a letter to him," said I, pulling out the surgeon's epistle. "I wish you would deliver it to him, I added, offering a half-crown. "Oh, it's you, is it?" said the ostler, taking the letter and the half-crown; my master will be right glad to see you; why, you ha'n't been here for many a year; I'll carry the note to him at once." And with these words he hurried into the house. "That's a nice horse, young man," said another ostler, what will Inn and Ostlers 215 you take for it?" to which interrogation I made no answer. "If you wish to sell him," said the ostler, coming up to me, and winking knowingly, “I think I and my partners might offer you a summut under seventy pounds;" to which kind and half-insinuated offer I made no reply, save by winking in the same kind of knowing manner in which I observed him wink. "Rather leary!" said a third ostler. Well, young man, perhaps you will drink tonight with me and my partners, when we can talk the matter over. Before I had time to answer, the landlord, a well-dressed, good-looking man, made his appearance with the ostler; he bore the letter in his hand. Without glancing at me, he betook himself at once to consider the horse, going round him, and observing every point with the utmost minuteness. At last, having gone round the horse three times, he stopped beside me, and keeping his eyes on the horse, bent his head towards his right shoulder. "That horse is worth some money, said he, turning towards me suddenly, and slightly touching me on the arm with the letter which he held in his hand; to which observation I made no reply, save by bending my head towards the right shoulder as I had seen him do. "The young man is going to talk to me and my partners about it tonight," said the ostler who had expressed an opinion that he and his friends might offer me somewhat under seventy pounds for the animal. "Pooh!" said the landlord, young man knows what he is about; in the meantime lead the horse to the reserved stall, and see well after him. My friend," said he, taking me aside after the ostler had led the animal away, recommends you to me in the strongest manner, on which account alone I take you and your horse in. I need not advise you not to be taken in, as I should say, by your look, that you are tolerably awake; but there are queer hands at Horncastle at this time, and those fellows of mine, you understand me——; but I have a great deal to do at present, so you must excuse me. And thereupon went into the house. 66 "the That same evening I was engaged at least two hours in the stable, in rubbing the horse down, and preparing him for the exhibition which I intended he should make in the fair on the following day. The ostler, to whom I had given the half-crown, occasionally assisted me, though he was too much occupied by the horses of other guests to |