e his
master and his mistress, and the constant Miggs, and the opportunity
was gone for ever. For now the chaise creaked upon its springs, and Mrs
Varden was inside; and now it creaked again, and more than ever, and
the locksmith was inside; and now it bounded once, as if its heart beat
lightly, and Dolly was inside; and now it was gone and its place
was empty, and he and that dreary Miggs were standing in the street
together.

The hearty locksmith was in as good a humour as if nothing had occurred
for the last twelve months to put him out of his way, Dolly was all
smiles and graces, and Mrs Varden was agreeable beyond all precedent. As
they jogged through the streets talking of this thing and of that, who
should be descried upon the pavement but that very coachmaker, looking
so genteel that nobody would have believed he had ever had anything to
do with a coach but riding in it, and bowing like any nobleman. To
be sure Dolly was confused when she bowed again, and to be sure the
cherry-coloured ribbons trembled a little when she met his mournful eye,
which seemed to say, 'I have kept my word, I have begun, the business is
going to the devil, and you're the cause of it.' There he stood, rooted
to the ground: as Dolly said, like a statue; and as Mrs Varden said,
like a pump; till they turned the corner: and when her father thought
it was like his impudence, and her mother wondered what he meant by it,
Dolly blushed again till her very hood was pale.

But on they went, not the less merrily for this, and there was the
locksmith in the incautious fulness of his heart 'pulling-up' at all
manner of places, and evincing a most intimate acquaintance with all the
taverns on the road, and all the landlords and all the landladies, with
whom, indeed, the little horse was on equally friendly terms, for he
kept on stopping of his own accord. Never were people so glad to see
other people as these landlords and landladies were to behold Mr Varden
and Mrs Varden and Miss Varden; and wouldn't they get out, said one; and
they really must walk upstairs, said another; and she would take it
ill and be quite certain they were proud if they wouldn't have a little
taste of something, said a third; and so on, that it was really quite a
Progress rather than a ride, and one continued scene of hospitality from
beginning to end. It was pleasant enough to be held in such esteem, not
to mention the refreshments; so Mrs Varden said nothing at the time,