CHAPTER　XXXII
  The　tanner　…　The　hotel　…　Drinking　claret　…　London　journal　…　New
  field　…　Commonplaceness　…　The　three　individuals　…　Botheration　…
  Frank　and　ardent。
  'TANNER！'　said　I　musingly；　as　I　left　the　bridge；　'Tanner！　what　can
  the　man　who　cures　raw　skins　by　means　of　a　preparation　of　oak　bark
  and　other　materials　have　to　do　with　the　name　which　these　fakers；　as
  they　call　themselves；　bestow　on　the　smallest　silver　coin　in　these
  dominions？　　Tanner！　　I　can't　trace　the　connection　between　the　man
  of　bark　and　the　silver　coin；　unless　journeymen　tanners　are　in　the
  habit　of　working　for　sixpence　a　day。　　But　I　have　it；'　I　continued；
  flourishing　my　hat　over　my　head；　'tanner；　in　this　instance；　is　not
  an　English　word。'　　Is　it　not　surprising　that　the　language　of　Mr。
  Petulengro　and　of　Tawno　Chikno　is　continually　coming　to　my
  assistance　whenever　I　appear　to　be　at　a　nonplus　with　respect　to　the
  derivation　of　crabbed　words？　　I　have　made　out　crabbed　words　in
  AEschylus　by　means　of　the　speech　of　Chikno　and　Petulengro；　and　even
  in　my　Biblical　researches　I　have　derived　no　slight　assistance　from
  it。　　It　appears　to　be　a　kind　of　picklock；　an　open　sesame；　Tanner　…
  Tawno！　the　one　is　but　a　modification　of　the　other；　they　were
  originally　identical；　and　have　still　much　the　same　signification。
  Tanner；　in　the　language　of　the　apple…woman；　meaneth　the　smallest　of
  English　silver　coins；　and　Tawno；　in　the　language　of　the
  Petulengres；　though　bestowed　upon　the　biggest　of　the　Romans；
  according　to　strict　interpretation　signifieth　a　little　child。
  So　I　left　the　bridge；　retracing　my　steps　for　a　considerable　way；　as
  I　thought　I　had　seen　enough　in　the　direction　in　which　I　had
  hitherto　been　wandering；　I　should　say　that　I　scarcely　walked　less
  than　thirty　miles　about　the　big　city　on　the　day　of　my　first
  arrival。　　Night　came　on；　but　still　I　was　walking　about；　my　eyes
  wide　open；　and　admiring　everything　that　presented　itself　to　them。
  Everything　was　new　to　me；　for　everything　is　different　in　London
  from　what　it　is　elsewhere　…　the　people；　their　language；　the　horses；
  the　TOUT　ENSEMBLE　…　even　the　stones　of　London　are　different　from
  others　…　at　least　it　appeared　to　me　that　I　had　never　walked　with
  the　same　case　and　facility　on　the　flagstones　of　a　country　town　as
  on　those　of　London；　so　I　continued　roving　about　till　night　came　on；
  and　then　the　splendour　of　some　of　the　shops　particularly　struck　me。
  'A　regular　Arabian　Nights　entertainment！'　said　I；　as　I　looked　into
  one　on　Cornhill；　gorgeous　with　precious　merchandise；　and　lighted　up
  with　lustres；　the　rays　of　which　were　reflected　from　a　hundred
  mirrors。
  But；　notwithstanding　the　excellence　of　the　London　pavement；　I　began
  about　nine　o'clock　to　feel　myself　thoroughly　tired；　painfully　and
  slowly　did　I　drag　my　feet　along。　　I　also　felt　very　much　in　want　of
  some　refreshment；　and　I　remembered　that　since　breakfast　I　had　taken
  nothing。　　I　was　now　in　the　Strand；　and；　glancing　about；　I　perceived
  that　I　was　close　by　an　hotel；　which　bore　over　the　door　the　somewhat
  remarkable　name　of　Holy　Lands。　　Without　a　moment's　hesitation　I
  entered　a　well…lighted　passage；　and；　turning　to　the　left；　I　found
  myself　in　a　well…lighted　coffee…room；　with　a　well…dressed　and
  frizzled　waiter　before　me；　'Bring　me　some　claret；'　said　I；　for　I
  was　rather　faint　than　hungry；　and　I　felt　ashamed　to　give　a　humbler
  order　to　so　well…dressed　an　individual。　　The　waiter　looked　at　me
  for　a　moment；　then；　making　a　low　bow；　he　bustled　off；　and　I　sat
  myself　down　in　the　box　nearest　to　the　window。　　Presently　the　waiter
  returned；　bearing　beneath　his　left　arm　a　long　bottle；　and　between
  the　fingers　of　his　right　hand　two　large　purple　glasses；　placing　the
  latter　on　the　table；　he　produced　a　corkscrew；　drew　the　cork　in　a
  twinkling；　set　the　bottle　down　before　me　with　a　bang；　and　then；
  standing　still；　appeared　to　watch　my　movements。　　You　think　I　don't
  know　how　to　drink　a　glass　of　claret；　thought　I　to　myself。　　I'll
  soon　show　you　how　we　drink　claret　where　I　come　from；　and；　filling
  one　of　the　glasses　to　the　brim；　I　flickered　it　for　a　moment　between
  my　eyes　and　the　lustre；　and　then　held　it　to　my　nose；　having　given
  that　organ　full　time　to　test　the　bouquet　of　the　wine；　I　applied　the
  glass　to　my　lips；　taking　a　large　mouthful　of　the　wine；　which　I
  swallowed　slowly　and　by　degrees；　that　the　palate　might　likewise
  have　an　opportunity　of　performing　its　functions。　　A　second　mouthful
  I　disposed　of　more　summarily；　then；　placing　the　empty　glass　upon
  the　table；　I　fixed　my　eyes　upon　the　bottle；　and　said　…　nothing；
  whereupon　the　waiter；　who　had　been　observing　the　whole　process　with
  considerable　attention；　made　me　a　bow　yet　more　low　than　before；
  and；　turning　on　his　heel；　retired　with　a　smart　chuck　of　his　head；
  as　much　as　to　say；　It　is　all　right：　　the　young　man　is　used　to
  claret。
  And　when　the　waiter　had　retired　I　took　a　second　glass　of　the　wine；
  which　I　found　excellent；　and；　observing　a　newspaper　lying　near　me；
  I　took　it　up　and　began　perusing　it。　　It　has　been　observed　somewhere
  that　people　who　are　in　the　habit　of　reading　newspapers　every　day
  are　not　unfrequently　struck　with　the　excellence　of　style　and
  general　talent　which　they　display。　　Now；　if　that　be　the　case；　how
  must　I　have　been　surprised；　who　was　reading　a　newspaper　for　the
  first　time；　and　that　one　of　the　best　of　the　London　journals！　　Yes；
  strange　as　it　may　seem；　it　was　nevertheless　true　that；　up　to　the
  moment　of　which　I　am　speaking；　I　had　never　read　a　newspaper　of　any
  description。　　I　of　course　had　frequently　seen　journals；　and　even
  handled　them；　but；　as　for　reading　them；　what　were　they　to　me？　　I
  cared　not　for　news。　　But　here　I　was　now　with　my　claret　before　me；
  perusing；　perhaps；　the　best　of　all　the　London　journals；　it　was　not
  the　…；　and　I　was　astonished：　　an　entirely　new　field　of　literature
  appeared　to　be　opened　to　my　view。　　It　was　a　discovery；　but　I
  confess　rather　an　unpleasant　one；　for　I　said　to　myself；　If　literary
  talent　is　so　very　common　in　London；　that　the　journals；　things
  which；　as　their　very　name　denotes；　are　ephemeral；　are　written　in　a
  style　like　the　article　I　have　been　perusing；　how　can　I　hope　to
  distinguish　myself　in　this　big　town；　when；　for　the　life　of　me；　I
  don't　think　I　could　write　anything　half　so　clever　as　what　I　have
  been　reading？　　And　then　I　laid　down　the　paper；　and　fell　into　deep
  musing；　rousing　myself　from　which；　I　took　a　glass　of　wine；　and；
  pouring　out　another；　began　musing　again。　　What　I　have　been　reading；
  thought　I；　is　certainly　very　clever　and　very　talented；　but　talent
  and　cleverness　I　think　I　have　heard　some　one　say　are　very
  commonplace　things；　only　fitted　for　everyday　occasions。　　I　question
  whether　the　man　who　wrote　the　book　I　saw　this　day　on　the　bridge　was
  a　clever　man；　but；　after　all；　was　he　not　something　much　better？　I
  don't　think　he　could　have　written　this　article；　but　then　he　wrote
  the　book　which　I　saw　on　the　bridge。　　Then；　if　he　could　not　have
  written　the　article　on　which　I　now　hold　my　forefinger　…　and　I　do
  not　believe　he　could　…　why　should　I　feel　discouraged　at　the
  consciousness　that　I；　too；　could　not　write　it？　　I　certainly　could
  no　more　have　written　the　article　than　he　could；　but　then；　like　him；
  though　I　would　not　compare　myself　to　the　man　who　wrote　the　book　I
  saw　upon　the　bridge；　I　think　I　could　…　and　here　I　emptied　the　glass
  of　claret　…　write　something　better。
  Thereupon　I　resumed　the　newspaper；　and；　as　I　was　before　struck　with
  the　fluency　of　style　and　the　general　talent　which　it　displayed；　I
  was　now　equally　so　with　its　commonplaceness　and　want　of　originality
  on　every　subject；　and　it　was　evident　to　me　that；　whatever　advantage
  these　newspaper…writers　might　have　over　me　in　some　points；　they　had
  never　studied　the　Welsh　bards；　translated　Kaempe　Viser；　or　been
  under　the　pupilage　of　Mr。　Petulengro　and　Tawno　Chikno。
  And　as　I　sat　conning　the　newspaper　three　individuals　entered　the
  room；　and　seated　themselves　in　the　box　at　the　farther　end　of　which
  I　was。　　They　were　all　three　very　well　dressed；　two　of　them　elderly
  gentlemen；　the　third　a　young　man　about　my　own　age；　or　perhaps　a
  year　or　two　older：　　they　called　for　coffee；　and；　after　two　or　three
  observations；　the　two　eldest　commenced　a　conversation　in　French；
  which；　however；　though　they　spoke　it　fluently　enough；　I　perceived
  at　once　was　not　their　native　language；　the　young　man；　however；　took
  no　part　in　their　conversation；　and　when　they　addressed　a　portion　to
  him；　which　indeed　was　but　rarely；　merely　replied　by　a　monosyllable。
  I　have　never　been　a　listener；　and　I　paid　but　little　heed　to　their
  discourse；　nor　indeed　to　themselves；　as　I　occasionally　looked　up；
  however；　I　could　perceive　that　the　features　of　the　young　man；　who
  chanced　to　be　seated　exactly　opposite　to　me；　wore　an　air　of
  constraint　and　vexation。　　This　circumstance　caused　me　to　observe