"1 



DOWN THE ROAD 127 



"Yes, but where's the plate?" 

 'Fetch yon one directly — here's the plate." 

 "A plate — oh! but where's a knife and fork?" 

 "You shall have one direftly, sir. Now, sir, there your 



are, all right." 



"Well then, nowthank Heaven I can get a bit of peace." 

 "Time up, sir. Coach is just ready to start." 

 "Ah! but I shan't be ready to start for this half-hour." 

 "Can't wait, you ought to have done before this!" 

 "Done? Zounds! I've not begun — I wish you would 



let me enjoy my mutton, without giving me so much of 



your sauce with it." 



"Three-and-sixpence a head, sir — trouble you for the 



money." 



"Three-and-sixpence! Why, I have scarcely had a 



bite." 



"No fault of ours, sir — it was there for you." 



"A bite! By the powers, it's a bite altogether!" 



Supper had to be consumed with equal celerity, and a 

 scene typical of such occasions is thus described by 

 Charles Matthews. 



"The drowsy, reeling, unwilling passengers now 

 alighted to take their supper in the town of Ware, and I 

 question if ever a Flemish Tarboldolt or a Congress at 

 Rhastadt, displayed such a miscellaneous assemblage as 

 the room into which we were shown. Here were pas- 

 sengers from three different coaches, in the same room, 

 stopped for the same purpose. In one corner of the room 

 was a Miss, who declared it was the werry height of 

 wulgarity to eat suppers. In another was an elderly lady 

 and a little boy, who were regaling themselves with 

 biscuits and brandy and water, and an old man, with a 

 large hat, tied under his chin with a blue and white 



