1903 The Flowing Bowl by Edward Spencer

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THE FLOWING BOWL

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and doles out on one occasion a minute glass thereof to Newman Noggs, who would evidently, like the farmer at the audit dinner, prefer it " in a moog." Mr. Lillyvick, the collector of water- rates, was especially partial to punch—which was " cut off" so unexpectedly for the benefit of Nicholas, after his walk from Yorkshire to the metropolis ; and the whole of Mr. Crummles's company, ladies included, liked a taste of the same beverage. Finally, John Browdie, the good genius of the book, was a fellow of infinite swallow, always ready for his meals, and never behindhand when there was a full jug or bottle handy. And it is recorded that upon being knocked up by Nicholas, on the visit of the last-named to Yorkshire, with the news of Squeers's trial and sentence, "forced him down upon a huge settle beside a blazing fire, poured out from an enormous bottle about a quarter of a pint of spirits, thrust it into his hand, opened his mouth, and threw back his head as a sign to him to drink it." And before breakfast, too ! Bill Sikes, on occasion, drank brandy "at a furious rate " ; but more often poverty prevented his slaking his thirst on anything more deadly than Spitalfields ale, or eleemosynary gin. The whole of Mr. Fagin's pupils drank whenever opportunity offered, either malt liquor or gin-and- water out of pewter pots ; but the Jew himself, with the innate caution of his race, avoided the wiles of the bowl. Nancy was an " habitual," in her youth, most probably, or she would not have chummed up with such a criminal crew ; and as for Monks, the disorder known as delirium