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7 
3829. ] the Cambridge Coachman. 33 
« « What, in the fiend’s name are you about ?’ he exclaimed, snatching 
the iron from the breathless landlord ;—‘ are you mad ?’ 
«© « Yes, I am mad, Master Watson,’ replied mine host; ‘I have a 
right to be mad, after such a drubbing as they have given me.’ 
« « Alack-a-day, poor man!’ said Frank—‘ and so he has been beaten? 
But who is it that has done this naughty deed ?’ 
«< « Why, who but the ghosts, and be d—d to them ?’ 
«<< You have seen them, then ?’ said Frank. 
*« Seen them !’ echoed the landlord ;— the foul fiend fly away with 
the disembodied villains !|—if, indeed, he has not got his share of them 
already ; it’s seldom he gives long credit where so much is owing.— 
Seen them, say you? Why, man, I have felt them, and know the weight of 
their fists to a grain avoirdupois.—But it’s all your fault—all your fault; 
I did just as you told me, and see what has come of it! Body o’ me! 
no fish-wife could have wagged her tongue to a better tune than IJ did ; 
—and only look at my arms, Master Watson !—look at my poor back, 
Master Watson! I called them knaves, and fools, and niggardly ras- 
cals, and fifty other hard names—any one of which, if words had any 
weight, was enough to break the back of a horse.’ 
« « And did you tell them all this in plain English?’ asked Frank. 
«« « Why, in what language do you think I told it ?—or what is that to 
the matter ?” 
« « Every thing,’ said Frank ; ‘in that lies the secret.’ 
“ « Zounds! man, I am not one of your college coxcombs, who carry 
half-a-dozen tongues between one pair of jaws.—But that’s of little con- 
sequence ; they understood me well enough.’ 
“ « No doubt of it.’ 
“« No doubt, do you say? Why the devil, then, did you lead me into 
this pretty business ?’ 
“© Good, mine host! replied Frank, gravely—‘ who would have 
jJooked for this from so discreet a man as you are ?—a man who has cut 
his eye-teeth—who can give a quart of wine in a pint-measure, and brew 
strong ale without the help of barley. Go to! I am ashamed of you— 
not to have known that you should tell truth in Latin ! 
« «Tn Latin!’ exclaimed the landlord. 
« «Why, who but the veriest dolt would think of abusing a man to 
his face, and he the stronger? Ever, while you live, if you want to 
curry favour withea man, tell truth in Latin.’ ”—— 
“It was a queer saying, that of short Watson’s—wasn’t it?” said 
Dick, as he finished his tale. 
« And did he tell it to you in Latin?” said I. 
“ Not a bit of it,” replied Richard ; “if he had, you’d have heard 
__ little of it from me, I fancy.” 
“ Humph !” said I.—“ But here we are at Pembroke; so there’s a 
crown for your maxim, and, when, I say any thing of Hell-fire Dick, 
Tl take especial care it shall not be in English.” 
G. S$. 
M.M. New Series —Vou: VI. No. 37. F 
