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62 A SHABBY GENTEEL STORY
only to return elsewhere with greater force ; in like manner, Mrs.
Swigby's sudden victory over the pipe and rum-and-water, although
it had caused a temporary cessation of the evil of which she complained,
was quite unable to stop it altogether ; it disappeared from
one spot only to rage with more violence elsewhere. In Swigby's
parlour, rum and tobacco odours rose no more (except, indeed, when
Mrs. Gann would partake of the former as a restorative) ; but if
you could have seen the "Half-Moon and Snuffers" down the
village ; if you could have seen the good dry skittle-ground which
stretched at the back of that inn, and the window of the back
parlour which superintended that skittle-ground; if the hour at
which you beheld these objects was evening, what time the
rustics from their toils released, trolled the stout ball amidst the
rattling pins (the oaken pins that standing in the sun did cast long
shadows on the golden sward); if you had remarked all this, I say,
you would have also seen in the back parlour a tallow candle twinkling
in the shade, and standing on a little greasy table. Upon the
greasy table was a pewter porter-pot, and to the left a teaspoon
glittering in a glass of gin ; close to each of these two delicacies was
a pipe of tobacco ; and behind the pipes sat Mr. Gann and Mr.
Swigby, who now made the " Half-Moon and Snuffers " their usual
place of resort, and forgot their married cares.
In spite of all our promises of brevity, these things have taken
some space to describe ; and the reader must also know that some
short interval elapsed ere they occurred. A month at least passed
away before Mr. Swigby had decidedly taken up his position at the
little inn ; all this time, Gann was staying with his son-in-law, at
the latter's most earnest request ; and Mrs. Gann remained under
the same roof at her own desire. Not the hints of her daughter,
nor the broad questions of the dowager Mrs. Swigby, could induce
honest Mrs. Gann to stir from her quarters. She had had her
lodgers' money in advance, as was the worthy woman's custom ; she
knew Margate in April was dreadfully dull, and she determined to
enjoy the country until the jovial town season arrived. The Canterbury
coachman, whom Gann knew, and who passed through the
village, used to take her cargo of novels to and fro ; and the old
lady made herself as happy as circumstances would allow. Should
anything of importance occur during her mamma's absence, Caroline
was to make use of the same conveyance, and inform Mrs. Gann
in a letter.
Miss Caroline looked at her papa and mamma, as the vehicle
which was to bear them to the newly married couple moved up the
street ; but, strange to say, she did not feel that heaviness of heart
which she before had experienced when forbidden to share the festi-