seen a clay-cold
man at all. However, to cut a long story short, all I know besides about
'em is that the name upon their luggage is Lady Petherwin, and she's the
widow of a city gentleman, who was a man of valour in the Lord Mayor's
Show.'

'Who's that chap in the gaiters and pack at his back, come out of the
door but now?' said the milkman, nodding towards a figure of that
description who had just emerged from the inn and trudged off in the
direction taken by the lady--now out of sight.

'Chap in the gaiters? Chok' it all--why, the father of that nobleman
that you call chap in the gaiters used to be hand in glove with half the
Queen's court.'

'What d'ye tell o'?'

'That man's father was one of the mayor and corporation of Sandbourne,
and was that familiar with men of money, that he'd slap 'em upon the
shoulder as you or I or any other poor fool would the clerk of the
parish.'

'O, what's my lordlin's name, make so bold, then?'

'Ay, the toppermost class nowadays have left off the use of wheels for
the good of their constitutions, so they traipse and walk for many years
up foreign hills, where you can see nothing but snow and fog, till
there's no more left to walk up; and if they reach home alive, and ha'n't
got too old and weared out, they walk and see a little of their own
parishes. So they tower about with a pack and a stick and a clane white
pocket-handkerchief over their hats just as you see he's got on his. He's
been staying here a night, and is off now again. "Young man, young man,"
I think to myself, "if your shoulders were bent like a bandy and your
knees bowed out as mine be, till there is not an inch of straight bone or
gristle in 'ee, th' wouldstn't go doing hard work for play 'a b'lieve."'

'True, true, upon my song. Such a pain as I have had in my lynes all
this day to be sure; words don't know what shipwreck I suffer in these
lynes o' mine--that they do not! And what was this young widow lady's
maiden name, then, hostler? Folk have been peeping after her, that's
true; but they don't seem to know much about her family.'

'And while I've tended horses fifty year that other folk might straddle
'em, here I be now not a penny the better! Often-times, when I see so
many good things about, I feel inclined to help myself in common justice
to my pocket.

"Work hard and be poor,
Do nothing and get more."

But I draw in the horns of my mind and think to myself, "Forbear, John
Hostler,