Book-bot.com - read famous books online for free

The Pocket George Borrow by George Henry Borrow
page 55 of 145 (37%)
one of the few countries in Europe where poverty is not treated with
contempt, and I may add, where the wealthy are not blindly idolized. In
Spain the very beggar does not feel himself a degraded being, for he
kisses no one's feet, and knows not what it is to be cuffed or spit upon;
and in Spain the duke or the marquis can scarcely entertain a very
overweening opinion of his own consequence, as he finds no one, with
perhaps the exception of his French valet, to fawn upon or flatter him.

* * * * *

The landlord brought the ale, placed it on the table, and then stood as
if waiting for something.

'I suppose you are waiting to be paid,' said I, 'what is your demand?'

'Sixpence for this jug, and sixpence for the other,' said the landlord.

I took out a shilling and said: 'It is but right that I should pay half
of the reckoning, and as the whole affair is merely a shilling matter, I
should feel obliged in being permitted to pay the whole, so, landlord,
take the shilling, and remember you are paid.' I then delivered the
shilling to the landlord, but had no sooner done so than the man in grey,
starting up in violent agitation, wrested the money from the other, and
flung it down on the table before me saying:--

'No, no, that will never do. I invited you in here to drink, and now you
would pay for the liquor which I ordered. You English are free with your
money, but you are sometimes free with it at the expense of people's
feelings. I am a Welshman, and I know Englishmen consider all Welshmen
hogs. But we are not hogs, mind you! for we have little feelings which
DigitalOcean Referral Badge