most extraordinary
manner, I could still discover a distant resemblance of my old friend.
Sir Roger, upon seeing me laugh, desired me to tell him truly if I
thought it possible for people to know him in that disguise. I at first
kept my usual silence; but upon the Knight's conjuring me to tell him
whether it was not still more like himself than a Saracen, I composed my
countenance in the best manner I could, and replied, that much might be
said on both sides.

These several adventures, with the Knight's behaviour in them, gave me
as pleasant a day as ever I met with in any of my travels.

THE SPECTATOR'S RETURN TO TOWN.

Having notified to my good friend Sir Roger that I should set out for
London the next day, his horses were ready at the appointed hour in the
evening; and attended by one of his grooms, I arrived at the country
town at twilight, in order to be ready for the stage-coach the day
following. As soon as we arrived at the inn, the servant, who waited
upon me, enquired of the chamberlain in my hearing what company he
had for the coach? The fellow answered, Mrs. Betty Arable, the great
fortune, and the widow her mother; a recruiting officer (who took a
place because they were to go); young Squire Quickset her cousin
(that her mother wished her to be married to); Ephraim the Quaker, her
guardian; and a gentleman that had studied himself dumb, from Sir Roger
de Coverley's. I observed by what he said of myself, that according to
his office he dealt much in intelligence; and doubted not but there was
some foundation for his reports for the rest of the company, as well as
for the whimsical account he gave of me. The next morning at day-break
we were all called; and I, who knew my own natural shyness, and
endeavour to be as little liable to be disputed with as possible,
dressed immediately, that I might make no one wait. The first
preparation for our setting-out was, that the captain's half-pike was
placed near the coachman, and a drum behind the coach. In the mean time
the drummer, the captain's equipage, was very loud, that none of the
captain's things should be placed so as to be spoiled; upon which his
cloke-bag was fixed in the seat of the coach: and the captain himself,
according to a frequent, tho' invidious behaviour of military men,
ordered his man to look sharp, that none but one of the ladies should
have the place he had taken fronting to the coach-box.

We were in some little time fixed in our