.&quot; THE ROAD IN A STORM. 121 



Boots, sir.&quot; &quot; Yes, and the rest of this to that excellent little 

 chambermaid, if you please.&quot; &quot; Oh, my little girl, sir ; oh, 

 thank ye, sir, you are very good, sir- yes, sir, you can t miss 

 it, sir, straight road after you pass the gate, sir. ^oocf-morn- 

 ing, sir ; should be glad to see you if you are this way again, 

 sir, or any of your friends. 6rooc?-niorniiig, sir. Hope you ll 

 have a fine day yet, sir ! It s slacking up e en now, I think. 

 Indeed it is, sir ! Ah, you ll have a fine day for a walk, sir. 

 {?ooa?-morning, sir.&quot; 



If it slackens at all, it is only for a moment, and then the 

 rain is poured down again densely and with renewed vehe 

 mence ; and the wind, coming from behind, fairly twists one 

 about, and hurries one along in its strong, fitful gusts. It is 

 market-day in Warminster, and, as I go out, every body else 

 and every thing else seems to be coming in. Men, women, 

 and children, in all sorts of English vehicles spring-carts, 

 taxed-carts, great broad-wheeled carts, or long wagons, with 

 bodies of a curious curved form flaring out over the wheels, 

 canvas tops, stretched over all, upon hoops ; sometimes two 

 horses abreast, drawing them in a double set of shafts ; oftener 

 two or three, and frequently four, five, or six, all in a line, 

 (tandem,) great, intelligent beasts, keeping well to the left, 

 where none will interfere with them, and they can legally 

 harm no one. (&quot; Keep the left&quot; is the rule of the road in En 

 gland ; not the right, as with us.) They are driven without 

 reins ; and more than once this morning I saw the driver, well 

 dosed with beer, I suppose, and fatigued with night-work, fast 

 asleep on the top of his load. Once I saw a gentleman, who 

 had nearly run against one of these sleeping fellows, strike 

 him smartly with his whip as he passed &quot; You had best 



wake up, sir ; who s your master f &quot; Mr. , of , 



sir,&quot; answered the man, rubbing himself. &quot; Very well, I shall 



PART II. 



