The Coachmaster 



and as long as I can remember anything, I 

 remember the folding of the kerchief In 

 that appointed place. 



Very uncongenial Is the roar and racket 

 of our great railway stations to one who 

 remembers the pleasant bustle of our goings 

 and comings In the old coaching days. 

 Castle Square was the centre of the coach- 

 ing life of Brighton. There were situated 

 '' The Blue," '' The Red," ^' The Age," and 

 other coach offices, and the running In and 

 out of persons eager to secure good seats, 

 the handling of luggage, the departure and 

 arrival of coaches, and the crowd of ladles 

 and gentlemen and other simpler folk who 

 came to greet or bid farewell to friends, 

 kept the place astir and humming from 

 morning till evening. The departure of 

 ''The Age" brought together the largest 

 number of gazers and loafers : and indeed 

 that coach was a thing worth going a little 

 way to look at, with its pole-chains of 

 burnished steel, and its daintiest of ribbons 

 and superb horses in silver-mounted har- 

 ness, and horse-cloths embroidered with 

 royal crowns in silver and gold. 



My Father's coaches started from our 



office in East Street : at five minutes to 



nine he mounted his box, and satisfied 



himself that Yarney had put a sufficient 



51 



