merely nodded to the others; 'and now,' said the
postillion, 'he evidently wished to get rid of me, fearing, probably,
that I should see too much of the nonsense that was going on. It was
whilst settling with me that he seemed to recognise me for the first
time, for he stared hard at me, and at last asked whether I had not been
in Italy; to which question, with a nod and a laugh, I replied that I
had. I was then going to ask him about the health of the image of Holy
Mary, and to say that I hoped it had recovered from its horsewhipping;
but he interrupted me, paid me the money for the fare, and gave me a
crown for myself, saying he would not detain me any longer. I say,
partner, I am a poor postillion, but when he gave me the crown I had a
good mind to fling it in his face. I reflected, however, that it was not
mere gift-money, but coin which I had earned, and hardly too, so I put it
in my pocket, and I bethought me, moreover, that, knave as I knew him to
be, he had always treated me with civility; so I nodded to him, and he
said something which, perhaps, he meant for Latin, but which sounded very
much like "vails," and by which he doubtless alluded to the money which
he had given me. He then went into the house with the rest, the coach
drove away which had brought the others, and I was about to get on the
box and follow; observing, however, two more chaises driving up, I
thought I would be in no hurry, so I just led my horses and chaise a
little out of the way, and pretending to be occupied about the harness, I
kept a tolerably sharp look-out at the new arrivals. Well, partner, the
next vehicle that drove up was a gentleman's carriage which I knew very
well, as well as those with it, who were a father and son, the father a
good kind of old gentleman, and a justice of the peace, therefore not
very wise, as you may suppose; the son a puppy who has been abroad, where
he contrived to forget his own language, though only nine months absent,
and now rules the roast over his father and mother, whose only child he
is, and by whom he is thought wondrous clever. So this foreigneering
chap brings his poor old father to this out of the way house to meet
these Platitudes and petty larceny villains, and perhaps would have
brought his mother too, only, simple thing, by good fortune she happens
to be laid up with the rheumatiz. Well, the father and son, I beg pardon
I mean the son and father, got down and went in, and then after t