A variety of circumstances, therefore, conspired to lead the man into the first public-house he came to. Here he entered the taproom, and placing his basket of flowers on the seat beside him, called for a pint of “dog’s nose”—a combination of gin and beer, to which the gentleman was particularly partial. This had the effect of rendering the hawker indisposed for prosecuting his journey to Houndsditch. What was the use, he began to ask himself, of his going all that way to sell a few rags, when he didn’t want for a pound or two? Accordingly, as the liquor got to make him feel more and more careless, he commenced tossing and raffling away the remaining flowers in his basket, among such as entered the taproom during his stay there; and while the gambling was going on, he partook of a second and a third quantum of his favourite potion, so that, by the time he had got rid of all his plants, he felt inclined to enjoy himself, and disposed to go anywhere but home. Still, however, he entertained some little difficulty respecting his costume, which certainly was not fitted for holiday-making, for, like the rest of the old clothes’ dealers, he was habited in his worst, with the view of attending the Houndsditch Exchange at the close of his day’s labours; and as he ran over to himself the several places of amusement that he should like to visit, he debated in his own mind as to what he should do for a “change.” To return home and put on his brown Petersham coat and bright “yellow kingsman” neckerchief, that he delighted to sport in Battersea Fields on a Sunday, was to go through a greater amount of exertion, at that precise moment, than he was inclined to undertake; and as he discussed within himself the several other modes of supplying his deficiency, it struck him that he had swopped a cactus that morning with a lady up in Clarendon Square for a “very tidy Pallytott,” and “these,” as he justly observed, “with the pair of breeches as he took with the pocket-book in ’em, would turn him out fit even for the ‘HEAGLE.’” Accordingly, he emptied the contents of his clothes-bag on one of the tables, and having selected therefrom such articles as he thought would suit him for the occasion, he proceeded at once, amid the laughter of all present, to indue himself with the garments; then having obtained permission of the landlord to leave the basket and bag in his charge for awhile, the hawker sallied forth, determined, like the quondam possessor of the trowsers he then wore, upon “enjoying himself.”