The Merry Past 



and proceeded to his guest to make the necessary 

 enquiries. " I be tould, sir, ye do want a chaise : 

 where to, pray, may I be so bould to axe ? " " To 

 hell ! " responded the exquisite. " Oh, then I can 

 accommodate thee directly," replied mine host : and 

 walking quietly to the window threw up the sash, and 

 called out, " Ostler John, here be a gentleman in a 

 desperate hurry to go home — harness Thunder and 

 Lightning, put them into the Brimstone chaise, and 

 tell Hell-fire Dick to drive like the Devil. And now, 

 young gentleman," turning to the astonished dandy, 

 " I'll go and make out the ticket, and ye'd better 

 come down with the ' blunt ' before ye starts, lest 

 I should never see your face again ! " 



The old posting inns were queer places, and most of 

 them had some character well known for his originality 

 and quaintness of phrase. 



The disconcerting reply which one of these — a 

 waiter — made to a somewhat pompous pillar of the 

 law excited considerable amusement amongst those 

 who heard of it. 



The learned and saintly judge in question having 

 retired into one corner of the public day-room to 

 indite an epistle, and seeing the waiter bustling about, 

 called him in his usual grave and mysterious manner. 

 " Waiter," said he, in an undertone, " pray is there a 

 ' w ' in Harrogate ? " "I don't know, my lord," said 

 William, with a shake of his head, and putting on one 

 of his slyest looks ; " master is very particular, but I 

 dare say I can manage it for you ! " 



A notorious buck of his day was Lord Lyttleton, 



1 60 



