ear the whirling sound of his late
conveyance, the snore of Mr. Macmorrogh, and the voice of Tom Rawlins.
He kept dwelling on every petty incident of his journey, and repeating
in his mind every petty saying. His determination to slumber made him
even less sleepy. Conscious that repose was absolutely necessary to
the performance of his task, and dreading that the boon was now
unattainable, he became each moment more feverish and more nervous; a
crowd of half-formed ideas and images flitted over his heated brain.
Failure, misery, May Dacre, Tom Rawlins, boiled beef, Mrs. Burnet, the
aristocracy, mountains and the marine, and the tower of St. Alban's
cathedral, hurried along in infinite confusion. But there is nothing
like experience. In a state of distraction, he remembered the hopeless
but refreshing sleep he had gained after his fatal adventure at
Brighton. He jumped out of bed, and threw himself on the floor, and in
a few minutes, from the same cause, his excited senses subsided into
slumber.

He awoke; the sun was shining through his rough shutter. It was noon. He
jumped up, rang the bell, and asked for a bath. The chambermaid did not
seem exactly to comprehend his meaning, but said she would speak to the
waiter. He was the first gentleman who ever had asked for a bath at the
Dragon with Two Tails. The waiter informed him that he might get a bath,
he believed, at the Hum-mums. The Duke dressed, and to the Hummums he
then took his way. As he was leaving the yard, he was followed by an
ostler, who, in a voice musically hoarse, thus addressed him:

'Have you seen missis, sir?'

'Do you mean me? No, I have not seen your missis;' and the Duke
proceeded.

'Sir, sir,' said the ostler, running after him, 'I think you said you
had not seen missis?'

'You think right,' said the Duke, astonished; and again he walked on.

'Sir, sir,' said the pursuing ostler, 'I don't think you have got any
luggage?'

'Oh! I beg your pardon,' said the Duke; 'I see it. I am in your debt;
but I meant to return.'

'No doubt on't, sir; but when gemmen don't have no luggage, they sees
missis before they go, sir.'

'Well, what am I in your debt? I can pay you here.'

'Five shillings, sir.'

'Here!' said the Duke; 'and tell me when a coach leaves this place
to-morrow for Yorkshire.'

'Half-past six o'clock in the morning precisely,' said the ostler.

'Well, my good fellow, I depend upon your securing me a place; and that
is for yours