The Merry Past 



She exercised her dangerous blandishments from 

 Piccadilly to Temple Bar, whilst in the streets about 

 the Haymarket and Covent Garden her resorts were 

 almost publicly recognised. 



The over-righteous, it is true, held up their hands 

 in horror as her gay curricles wept by, but the reign 

 of the hypocrite had not yet dawned, and whilst 

 youth and beauty lasted, the Betseys, Kates, and 

 Jennies lived pretty well unmolested, and were not, 

 as to-day, hounded from pillar to post by zealous 

 reformers on the mendacious plea that they were but 

 carrying out the dictates of Christianity. 



The London buck when travelling about the country 

 was very apt to give himself insupportable airs, 

 which rendered such wild spirits not over-popular 

 wdth innkeepers and others whom they were apt to 

 browbeat. 



Not a few of the latter, however, were well able to 

 hold their own. A dashing blade once strode into a 

 well-known inn in the city of York, and ringing the 

 bell with violence ordered a chaise to the door in- 

 stantly. The waiter naturally asked, " For what 

 stage ? " " What's that to you ? " replied the dandy ; 

 " be off, and do as I tell you." The waiter immedi- 

 ately went to his master, and said there was a queer 

 customer in the coffee-room, who wanted horses, but 

 wouldn't say where to. " Aye," said the innkeeper, 

 who was particularly mild in demeanour, and a man 

 who held the doctrine that more flies were caught 

 with honey than vinegar, " I'll go to 'un ; he don't 

 know we must make out a ticket for the horses ": 



159 



