COACHING 



like what he might have been had he lived a hun- 

 dred years back. *'I wish to go home to Exeter," 

 repHes the old gentleman, mildly. **Just in time, 

 your honour, here she comes — them there grey 

 horses; where's your luggage?" ** Don't be in a 

 hurry," observed the stranger ; ** that's a gentle- 

 man's carriage." "It ain't! I tell you," says the 

 cad; "it's the Comet, and you must be as quick 

 as lightning." Nolens volens, the remonstrating old 

 gentleman is shoved into the Comet, by a cad at 

 each elbow, having been three times assured his 

 luggage is in the hind boot, and twice three times 

 denied having ocular demonstration of the fact. 



* However, he is now seated; and "What 

 gentleman is going to drive us ? " is his first question 

 to his fellow-passengers. "He is no gentleman, sir," 

 says a person who sits opposite to him, and who 

 happens to be a proprietor of the coach. "He has 

 been on the Comet ever since she started, and is 

 a very steady young man." "Pardon my ignor- 

 ance," replies the regenerated; "from the clean- 

 liness of his person, the neatness of his apparel, 

 and the language he made use of, I mistook him 

 for some enthusiastic bachelor of arts, wishing to 



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