130 THE COACHING ERA 



Pry found to their cost. The coach officially dines at the 

 Star Hotel, Oxford, but it was the custom for those 

 who could not afford the high prices to resort to the 

 Bell, a cheaper place of entertainment. One night six 

 Welshmen entered that house, warmed themselves before 

 the fire, and frugally had one sixpenny tea between the 

 six of them. This roused the exceeding wrath of Mrs. 

 Charlton, the landlady, and she complained very bitterly 

 to Bayzand, who, shocked at such parsimony, promised 

 it should not occur again, for that he personally would 

 take steps to prevent it. 



The following day eight Welsh passengers on the Paul 

 Pry came to the Bell and pursuant to Bayzand's in- 

 strudfions were shown into a room with a good fire, and 

 eight sixpenny teas ready on the table. The door was 

 then unostentatiously locked. Time passed quickly, and 

 presently the guard blew his horn to announce that the 

 coach was ready to start. The Welshmen seized their 

 hats and coats, and rushed to the door, which to their 

 consternation they found closed. 



"Open the door!" they cried, hammering on it. 



The guard blew another imperative blast on his horn 

 which threw the Welshmen into a frenzy. 



"Open the door, open the door!" they shouted. 



"It shall be opened when you have paid 4s. for your 

 tea," said Bayzand from the other side. 



The Welshmen tried to compromise by offering one 

 and six, protesting that only three of them, had had tea. 

 That, however, was regarded as no excuse whatever: 

 tea for eight had been provided, and if they had not 



