ng to my place below with this
young gentlewoman, and you had better follow us." "I am ready," said the
man; and after lifting up the wheel and propping it against the chaise,
he went with us, slightly limping, and with his hand pressed to his
thigh.

As we were descending the narrow path, Belle leading the way, and myself
the last of the party, the postillion suddenly stopped short, and looked
about him. "Why do you stop?" said I. "I don't wish to offend you,"
said the man, "but this seems to be a strange place you are leading me
into; I hope you and the young gentlewoman, as you call her, don't mean
me any harm--you seemed in a great hurry to bring me here." "We wished
to get you out of the rain," said I, "and ourselves too; that is, if we
can, which I rather doubt, for the canvas of a tent is slight shelter in
such a rain; but what harm should we wish to do you?" "You may think I
have money," said the man, "and I have some, but only thirty shillings,
and for a sum like that it would be hardly worth while to--"

"Would it not?" said I; "thirty shillings, after all, are thirty
shillings, and for what I know, half a dozen throats may have been cut in
this place for that sum at the rate of five shillings each; moreover,
there are the horses, which would serve to establish this young
gentlewoman and myself in housekeeping, provided we were thinking of such
a thing." "Then I suppose I have fallen into pretty hands," said the
man, putting himself in a posture of defence; "but I'll show no craven
heart; and if you attempt to lay hands on me, I'll try to pay you in your
own coin. I'm rather lamed in the leg, but I can still use my fists; so
come on both of you, man and woman, if woman this be, though she looks
more like a grenadier."

"Let me hear no more of this nonsense," said Belle; "if you are afraid,
you can go back to your chaise--we only seek to do you a kindness."

"Why, he was just now talking of cutting throats," said the man. "You
brought it on yourself," said Belle; "you suspected us, and he wished to
pass a joke upon you; he would not hurt a hair of your head, were your
coach laden with gold, nor would I." "Well," said the man, "I was
wrong--here's my hand to both of you," shaking us by the hands. "I'll go
with you where you please, but I thought this a strange lonesome place,
though I ought not much to mind strange lonesome places, having been in
plenty of such when I was a servant in Italy, without