THE ROAD. 
his quondam passenger, and thus described his situation. 
He was seated with his back to the horses his arms 
extended to each extremity of the guard-irons his 
teeth set grim as death his eyes cast down towards the 
ground, thinking the less he saw of his danger the 
better. There was what is called a top-heavy load 
perhaps a ton of luggage on the roof, and, it may be, 
not quite in obedience to the act of parliament standard. 
There were also two horses at wheel whose strides were 
of rather unequal length, and this operated powerfully 
on the coach. In short, the lurches of the Regulator 
were awful at the moment of the Comet meeting her. 
A tyro in mechanics would have exclaimed, " The 
centre of gravity must be lost ; the centrifugal force will 
have the better of it over she must go!" 
The centre of gravity having been preserved, the 
coach arrived safe at Hartford Bridge; but the old 
gentleman has again had enough of it. "I will walk 
into Devonshire," said he, as he descended from his 
perilous exaltation. "What did that rascally waiter 
mean by telling me this was a slow coach ? and, more- 
over, look at the luggage on the roof! " " Only regula- 
tion height, sir," says the coachman; " we arn't allowed 
to have it an inch higher; sorry we can't please you, 
sir, but we will try and make room for you in front." 
" Fronti nulla fides" mutters the worthy to himself, as 
he walks tremblingly into the house adding, "I shall 
not give this fellow a shilling ; he is dangerous" 
The Regulator being off, the waiter is again applied 
