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 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 about 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 coming to any
harm--come, let us move on, for 'tis a shame to keep you two in