h through its
breaks gave occasional glimpses of woodland and fallow, interspersed
with cross-roads and tiny brooklets.

"There goes a jolly fellow!" said Nabbem, pointing to an
athletic-looking man, riding before the carriage, dressed in a farmer's
garb, and mounted on a large and powerful horse of the Irish breed.
"I dare say he is well acquainted with your grazier, Mr. Tomlinson; he
looks mortal like one of the same kidney; and here comes another chap"
(as the stranger, was joined by a short, stout, ruddy man in a carter's
frock, riding on a horse less showy than his comrade's, but of the
lengthy, reedy, lank, yet muscular race, which a knowing jockey would
like to bet on). "Now that's what I calls a comely lad!" continued
Nabbem, pointing to the latter horseman; "none of your thin-faced, dark,
strapping fellows like that Captain Lovett, as the blowens raves about,
but a nice, tight little body, with a face like a carrot! That's a
beauty for my money! Honesty's stamped on his face, Mr. Tomlinson! I
dare says" (and the officer grinned, for he had been a lad of the cross
in his own day),--"I dare says, poor innocent booby, he knows none
of the ways of Lunnun town; and if he has not as merry a life as some
folks, mayhap he may have a longer. But a merry one forever for such
lads as us, Mr. Pepper! I say, has you heard as how Bill Fang went to
Scratchland [Scotland] and was stretched for smashing queer screens
[that is, hung for uttering forged notes]? He died 'nation game; for
when his father, who was a gray-headed parson, came to see him after the
sentence, he says to the governor, say he, 'Give us a tip, old 'un,
to pay the expenses, and die dacently.' The parson forks him out ten
shiners, preaching all the while like winkey. Bob drops one of the
guineas between his fingers, and says, 'Holla, dad, you have only tipped
us nine of the yellow boys! Just now you said as how it was ten!' On
this the parish-bull, who was as poor as if he had been a mouse of the
church instead of the curate, lugs out another; and Bob, turning
round to the jailer, cries, 'Flung the governor out of a guinea, by
God!--[Fact]--Now, that's what I calls keeping it up to the last!"

Mr. Nabbem had scarcely finished this anecdote, when the farmer-like
stranger, who had kept up by the side of the chaise, suddenly rode to
the window, and touching his hat, said in a Norfolk accent,--

"Were the gentlemen we met on the road belonging to your party? Th