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THE FLOWING BOWL
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