160 SOME GENTLEMAN'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 



and, above all things, to keep the walls and ground correctly 

 chalked. Nine cheers were then given for little Issachar, and his 

 constituents departed to their respective cells. 



It now occurred to me that I might as well withdraw. Outside 

 the gate stood a horse and gig, under the care of a nice, innocent, 

 prepossessing little boy in rags. Taking half a crown from my 

 waistcoat pocket, I told him to run across the market and get it 

 changed, promising to mind the horse and gig for a moment, and to 

 give him a penny for his trouble. Before he came back, I tried on 

 a bottle green surtout, with a velvet collar, that lay in the gig. It 

 precisely fitted me, and completely concealed the horrid rhubarb- 

 coloured garment of my friend Gruel. At the outskirts of town, I 

 felt reluctantly compelled to raise money upon it, for without adopt- 

 ing this measure, I had not wherewith to carry me to an outport. 

 On looking over my funds, I found that I had accidentally given 

 the little boy that suspicious-looking half crown which I took as a 

 keepsake from Maria's mantel-piece. This, of course, gave me a 

 pang ; for notwithstanding her coalition against me with that human 

 panther, my sleek friend, Mr. Gruel, I still had an affection for the 

 woman, and hoped that on receiving advice from an outport, she 

 would fully redeem her character by a liberal remittance. 



I mounted the first west country mail that passed having taken 

 tea at Knightsbridge and had the luck to obtaina box seat. It was 

 far from cold, but the coachman offered me one of his spare great 

 coats with an air of such peculiar civility, that it would have been 

 ungracious to decline. He was rather a superior young man for the 

 situation he occupied, and I could not help expressing my conviction 

 that he had moved in a better sphere. He admitted that he had, and 

 beguiled the time by telling me his story. He was the eldest son of 

 a most worthy and opulent citizen. t( I'm not what I ought to be 

 exactly, sir," said he, " or I shouldn't be here holding hard upon 

 three half runaways, and double thonging a blind gib look how she 

 hugs her partner, and presently she'll yaw out to the off hedge, or 

 maybe squat of a sudden fit to snap the pole. My father, sir, was 

 the best of fathers to me never pulls an ounce except going down 

 hill, and then she'll push up to the cold collar as if she loved it, spite 

 of all that mortal man can do, for she's no more mouth than a mile- 

 stone. He brought me up that is he would, if I hadn't been a bad 

 'un brought me up like a gentleman ; but you see, sir, I was just 

 like this here mare no beating any thing into me, not because I 

 couldn't, but because I wouldn't. Father had an old -fool of a coach- 

 man, and 'twas he who spoiled me, by letting me ride the blind horse 

 to water. Never could overcome my propensity to cat's meat since ; 

 and here you see I am behind three runaways and a gib my neck not 

 worth half an hour's purchase. Don't be alarmed, there's a child 

 inside, and we're all in one boat, you know. For my part, I'm never 

 afraid except when riding solus with Black Harry the guard, a man 

 who's no protection against the judgment of providence for man or 

 beast. Very well, you know, after I'd been off and on four or five 

 years in the counting-house, playing old Harry most part of the 

 time, one morning I didn't get home until past three, for I'd been at a 



