The Coachmaster 



** Well, gentlemen, I don't know If you 

 know w^hy we've come here ; I'm sure I 

 don't know. Speaking for myself, and no 

 man can do more, and I'm sure as you'll all 

 agree with me, Mr. Hyde has paid up 

 regular as clock-work till these blessed 

 losses of late, and I'm sure I w^ish he may 

 yet come and have many a sack of oats off 

 me, for I know he'll pay the first moment 

 he's got it to pay with ; and I don't think 

 there's a man here but wishes him well 

 through these hard times." The honest 

 fellow mopped his forehead with his red 

 cotton handkerchief, for he was not accus- 

 tomed to speak so long at a time. And 

 here a husky young farmer blurted out 

 that he hoped that Mr. Hyde would come 

 to him if he wanted a horse at any time ; 

 for he'd never had pleasanter dealings with 

 any man than with IMr. Hyde, and as to 

 paying, why everybody knew that Mr. 

 Hyde would pay when he could, and for 

 his part his little bill should bide a good 

 time for such a kind old gentleman as Mr. 

 Hyde. And there he left off, very red and 

 surprised at his own eloquence ; and the 

 company bumped the table with their fists 

 as they were used to do after the speeches 

 at a tenants' dinner : and one after another 

 remarked that that was just their way of 

 79 



