Takingbut little interest in public affairs, they beguiled their time chieflywith such amusements as the Peacock afforded, which were limited to abagatelle-board in the first floor, and a sequestered skittle-groundin the back yard.
Ah, that's just the wery thing, Sir,' rejoined Sam, 'they don't mindit; it's a reg'lar holiday to them--all porter and skittles.
Having purchased the beer, and obtained, moreover, theday-but-one-before-yesterday's paper, he repaired to the skittle-ground,and seating himself on a bench, proceeded to enjoy himself in a verysedate and methodical manner.
Dirty, slipshod women passed and repassed, on their wayto the cooking-house in one corner of the yard; children screamed, andfought, and played together, in another; the tumbling of the skittles,and the shouts of the players, mingled perpetually with these and ahundred other sounds; and all was noise and tumult--save in a littlemiserable shed a few yards off, where lay, all quiet and ghastly, thebody of the Chancery prisoner who had died the night before, awaitingthe mockery of an inquest.