own eyes that
always cloud before they laugh. Her aunt did not drive down with us as
she had intended, in consequence of a headache. She was good enough to
say she felt every confidence in me.

The old booking-clerk caught sight of us when we were about a quarter
of a mile away, and drew to us the attention of the coachman, who
communicated the fact of our approach to the gathered passengers.
Everybody left off talking, and waited for us. The boots seized his
horn, and blew--one could hardly call it a blast; it would be difficult
to say what he blew. He put his heart into it, but not sufficient wind.
I think his intention was to welcome us, but it suggested rather a
feeble curse. We learnt subsequently that he was a beginner on the
instrument.

In some mysterious way the whole affair appeared to be our party. The
booking-clerk bustled up and helped Minnie from the cart. I feared, for
a moment, he was going to kiss her. The coachman grinned when I said
good-morning to him. The passengers grinned, the boots grinned. Two
chamber-maids and a waiter came out from the hotel, and they grinned. I
drew Minnie aside, and whispered to her. I said--

"There's something funny about us. All these people are grinning."

She walked round me, and I walked round her, but we could neither of us
discover anything amusing about the other. The booking-clerk said--

"It's all right. I've got you young people two places just behind the
box-seat. We'll have to put five of you on that seat. You won't mind
sitting a bit close, will you?"

The booking-clerk winked at the coachman, the coachman winked at the
passengers, the passengers winked at one another--those of them
who could wink--and everybody laughed. The two chamber-maids became
hysterical, and had to cling to each other for support. With the
exception of Minnie and myself, it seemed to be the merriest coach party
ever assembled at Lyndhurst.

We had taken our places, and I was still busy trying to fathom the joke,
when a stout lady appeared on the scene, and demanded to know her place.

The clerk explained to her that it was in the middle behind the driver.

"We've had to put five of you on that seat," added the clerk.

The stout lady looked at the seat.

"Five of us can't squeeze into that," she said.

Five of her certainly could not. Four ordinary sized people with her
would find it tight.

"Very well then," said the clerk, "you can have the end place on the
back seat."