,' and then I was going to say something uncivil, but he went to
attend to the new comers, and I took myself away on my own business as he
bade me, not, however, before observing that these two last were a couple
of blackcoats."

The postillion then proceeded to relate how he made the best of his way
to a small public-house, about a mile off, where he had intended to bait,
and how he met on the way a landau and pair, belonging to a Scotch
coxcomb whom he had known in London, about whom he related some curious
particulars, and then continued: "Well, after I had passed him and his
turn-out, I drove straight to the public-house, where I baited my horses,
and where I found some of the chaises and drivers who had driven the
folks to the lunatic-looking mansion, and were now waiting to take them
up again. Whilst my horses were eating their bait, I sat me down, as the
weather was warm, at a table outside, and smoked a pipe, and drank some
ale, in company with the coachman of the old gentleman who had gone to
the house with his son, and the coachman then told me that the house was
a Papist house, and that the present was a grand meeting of all the fools
and rascals in the country, who came to bow down to images, and to
concert schemes--pretty schemes no doubt--for overturning the religion of
the country, and that for his part he did not approve of being concerned
with such doings, and that he was going to give his master warning next
day. So, as we were drinking and discoursing, up drove the chariot of
the Scotchman, and down got his valet and the driver, and whilst the
driver was seeing after the horses, the valet came and sat down at the
table where the gentleman's coachman and I were drinking. I knew the
fellow well, a Scotchman like his master, and just of the same kidney,
with white kid gloves, red hair frizzled, a patch of paint on his face,
and his hands covered with rings. This very fellow, I must tell you, was
one of those most busy in endeavouring to get me turned out of the
servants' club in Park Lane, because I happened to serve a literary man;
so he sat down, and in a kind of affected tone cried out, 'Landlord,
bring me a glass of cold negus.' The landlord, however, told him that
there was no negus, but that if he pleased, he could have a jug of as
good beer as any in the country. 'Confound the beer,' said the valet,
'do you think that I am accustomed to such vulgar beverage?' However, as
he found there was n