Of JOSEPH
bottle, with an inverted drinking-horn resting on the bung;
and having laughed very much at his own forethought, he set
the stone bottle down, and sat himself on the top of it.
It was the only thing wanting to complete the mirth of the
party, and very merry they were. It was a fine moonlight night,
cold, but healthy and fresh, and it passed pleasantly and quickly
away. The day had broken before they reached Billingsgate -
stairs; the stone-bottle was empty, the neighbour asleep,
Grimaldi and the young lady buttoned up in the great-coat,
and the wife and daughter very jocose and good-humoured.
Here they parted: the neighbour's family went home in a
hackney-eoach, and Grrimaldi, bidding them good-bye, walked
away to Graceehurch-street, not forgetting to thank the young
lady for her humanity and compassion.
He had occasion to call at a coach-office in Gbaceehureh-
street; but finding that it was not yet open (for it was very
early), and not feeling at all fatigued by his journey, he deter-
mined to walk about the city for a couple of hours or so, and
then to return to the coach-office. By so doing, he would pass
away the time till the office opened, gain an opportunity of
looking about him in that part of London, to which he was
quite a stranger, and avoid disturbing the family at home until
a more seasonable hour. So he made up his mind to walk the
two nonrs away, and turned back for that purpose.