With respect to myself, I swallowed my ale more leisurely, and was about to address my friend, when his niece, coming into the bar, said that more and more customers were arriving, and how she should supply their wants she did not know, unless her uncle would get up and help her.
"The customers!" said the landlord, "let the scoundrels wait till you have time to serve them, or till I have leisure to see after them." "The kitchen won't contain half of them," said his niece.

"Then let them sit out abroad," said the landlord.

"But there are not benches enough, uncle," said the niece.

"Then let them stand or sit on the ground," said the uncle, "what care I?
I'll let them know that the man who beat Tom of Hopton stands as well again on his legs as ever." Then opening a side door which led from the bar into the back yard, he beckoned me to follow him.

"You treat your customers in rather a cavalier manner," said I, when we were alone together in the yard.
"Don't I ?" said the landlord; "and I'll treat them more so yet; now I have got the whip-hand of the rascals I intend to keep it.