At Any Rate I
Drew It, And In The Village Just Beyond It I Learnt Something Curious
About The Man That Owned It.
For I had gone into a house to take a third meal of bread and wine and
to replenish my bottle when the old woman of the house, who was a
kindly person, told me she had just then no wine.
'But,' said she, 'Mr
So and So that lives in the big house sells it to any one who cares to
buy even in the smallest quantities, and you will see his shed
standing by the side of the road.'
Everything happened just as she had said. I came to the big shed by
the park wall, and there was a kind of counter made of boards, and
several big tuns and two men: one in an apron serving, and the other
in a little box or compartment writing. I was somewhat timid to ask
for so little as a quart, but the apron man in the most businesslike
way filled my bottle at a tap and asked for fourpence. He was willing
to talk, and told me many things: of good years in wine, of the nature
of their trade, of the influence of the moon on brewing, of the
importance of spigots, and what not; but when I tried to get out of
him whether the owner were an eccentric private gentleman or a
merchant that had the sense to earn little pennies as well as large
ones, I could not make him understand my meaning; for his idea of rank
was utterly different from mine and took no account of idleness and
luxury and daftness, but was based entirely upon money and clothes.
Moreover we were both of us Republicans, so the matter was of no great
moment.
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