was a masterful but a pleasant man, very civil to customers and to
his friends generally while they took him the right way; but one
who could be a Tartar if he were offended, holding an opinion that
his position as landlord of an inn was one requiring masterdom. And
his wife was like him in everything,--except in this, that she
always submitted to him. He was a temperate man in the main; but on
Saturday nights he would become jovial, and sometimes a little
quarrelsome. When this occurred the club would generally break
itself up and go home to bed, not in the least offended. Indeed Mr.
Runciman was the tyrant of the club, though it was held at his
house expressly with the view of putting money into his pocket.
Opposite to his seat was another arm-chair,--not so big as Mr.
Runciman's, but still a soft and easy chair, which was always left
for the attorney. For Mr. Masters was a man much respected through
all Dillsborough, partly on his own account, but more perhaps for
the sake of his father and grandfather. He was a round-faced,
clean-shorn man, with straggling grey hair, who always wore black
clothes and a white cravat. There was something in his appearance
which recommended him among his neighbours, who were disposed to
say he "looked the gentleman;" but a stranger might have thought
his cheeks to be flabby and his mouth to be weak.

Making a circle, or the beginning of a circle, round the fire, were
Nupper, the doctor,--a sporting old bachelor doctor who had the
reputation of riding after the hounds in order that he might be
ready for broken bones and minor accidents; next to him, in another
arm-chair, facing the fire, was Ned Botsey, the younger of the two
brewers from Norrington, who was in the habit during the hunting
season of stopping from Saturday to Monday at the Bush, partly
because the Rufford hounds hunted on Saturday and Monday and on