136 JOURNEY. 



and on the following Monday I entered 

 on my new vocation. To speak techni- 

 cally, the drag to which I was appointed 

 was the first, and continued some few 

 years the only, day-coach to Birmingham. 

 After passing through St. Albans, Dun- 

 stable, Stony Stratford, Towcester, and 

 Weedon, it proceeded through Leamington 

 and Warwick, turning out of the direct 

 road (through Coventry) at Daventry, mak- 

 ing the whole distance 112 miles. 



Starting from London at five in the 

 morning, my functions ceased at Red- 

 bourn, a large village four miles beyond 

 St. Albans, where I had to await the 

 arrival of the up-coach from Birmingham 

 at six in the evening, and then return 

 to London, which I reached between 

 nine and ten. 



With this arrangement I was by no 

 means displeased, for the reason that 

 everything was new to me. I wanted 



