222 OCCASIONAL HAPPY THOUGHTS. 



We wish her good-bye, but wait to see the start. 



This is difficult, owing to the driver being unsettled in his 

 mind as to where the road lies. First he pulls the reins so 

 as to back the cab against the palings ; then (still explaining 

 to us from his perch that he was only " trying to take the 

 best turning") he pulls the horse round with the right rein, 

 which, resulting in no progress at all, he changes for the 

 left. 



Upon this, we beseech my Aunt to get out, the man being, 

 unquestionably, drunk. 



The driver, hearing this, vehemently contradicts us, and 

 attempts to explain that the horse couldn't go on straight 

 because the reins were twisted. 



" Untwist them then, you idiot," says my friend. I wish 

 at the moment he wouldn't call the man names, or if he does 

 that he wouldn't stand safely inside our gate and do it, where 

 the man couldn't see him, and would think the voice came 

 from me. The driver, however, doesn't notice this ; but 

 descends from his seat (a dangerous and perfectly unneces- 

 sary operation), in order to adopt my friend's advice and 

 untwist the reins. 



All he does is to tug at the horse's head and swear a little, 

 which probably relieves his brain considerably, as he is able 

 to climb up again, after not more than three false slips. 

 Again on his box, his pulling at the unfortunate animal's 

 head becomes more violent, when, seeing him about to back 

 into the ditch, we rush towards the cab and receive my Aunt 

 in our arms, anyhow, like a parcel out of a van at a luggage 

 office. 



