THE EXETER ROAD 105 



three minutes, and the coachman in the act of taking a 

 pinch of snuff. The last of these three sights tends to 

 reassure him, and he remarks to the coach proprietor 

 that fortunately for their necks the road seems excellent. 

 " They are perfection, sir," says the proprietor. " No horse 

 walks a yard in this coach between London and Exeter, 

 all trotting ground now." " But who has effected this 

 improvement in your paving } " says Mirabel. " A party 

 of the name of M'Adam," is the reply, " but coachmen 

 call him the Colossus of roads. Great things likewise 

 have been done in cutting through hills and altering the 

 course of roads ; and it is no uncommon thing nowadays 

 to see four horses trotting away merrily down-hill on 

 that very ground where they were formerly seen walking 

 up-hill." 



When the Comet arrives at Staines, Mirabel, reassured 

 by this soothing syrup, alights to see the horses changed. 

 On seeing a fine thoroughbred led towards the coach, 

 with a twitch on his nose, he experiences a slight feeling 

 of nausea ; but recollects his inside friend's assurance 

 that the next stage requires cattle strong and staid, and 

 takes his seat again just as the artist on the box says, 

 " Let 'em go, and take care of yourselves." All goes 

 well for a while till they reach what is termed on the 

 road a long fall of ground, when the coach presses upon 

 the horses. The thoroughbred at once breaks into a 

 canter, and by doing so disqualifies himself from being 

 of any service as a wheeler, and this done there is nothing 

 for it but to gallop. The coach rocks awfully, neverthe- 

 less she is not in danger ; the master-hand of the artist 

 keeps her in a direct line, and meeting the opposing 

 ground, she steadies and is all right. 



Not so old Mirabel, who feels extremely sick and 

 shaken, and leaves the Comet at Bagshot for good and 

 all, congratulating himself on the safety of his limbs. 

 He once more after a lapse of fifty years enters The 

 King's Arms, recalls the journey to Salisbury in 1773, 

 finds the place much changed, rings the bell for the 



