THE COACH AS NEWS-BEARER i6i 



'You must have a bad mem'ry, Mr. Weller,' says the 

 gen'l'm'n. — 'Well, it is a wery bad 'un,' says my father. — 

 'I thought so,' says the gen'l'm'n. So then they pours 

 him out a glass o' wine, and gammons him about his 

 driving, and gets him into a reg'lar good humour, and 

 at last shoves a twenty pound note in his hand. 'It's a 

 wery bad road between this and London,' says the 

 gen'l'm'n. — 'Here and there it is a wery heavy road,' 

 says my father. — "Specially near the canal, I think,' 

 says the gen'l'm'n. — 'Nasty bit that 'ere,' says my 

 father. — 'Well, Mr. Weller,' says the gen'l'm'n, 'you're a 

 wery good whip, and can do what you like with your 

 horses, we know. We're all wery fond o' you, Mr. Weller, 

 so in case you should have an accident when you're 

 a bringing these here woters down, and should tip 'em 

 over into the canal vithout hurtin' o' 'em, this is for 

 yourself,' says he. — 'Gen'l'm'n, you're wery kind,' 

 says my father, 'and I'll drink your health in another 

 glass of wine,' says he; vhich he did, and then 

 buttons up the money, and bows himself out. You 

 vouldn't believe, sir," continued Sam with a look of 

 inexpressible impudence at his master, "that on the 

 wery day as he came down with them woters, his coach 

 was upset on that 'ere wery spot, and ev'ry man on 'em 

 was turned into the canal.'" 



"And got out again?" inquired Mr. Pickwick hastily. 



"Why," replied Sam, very slowly, "I rather think one 

 old gen'l'm'n was missin'. I know his hat was found, 

 but I an't quite certain whether his head was in it 

 or not. But what I look at is, the hex-traordinary and 

 wonderful coincidence, that arter what that gen'l'm'n 

 said my father's coach should be upset in that wery 

 place, and on that wery day!" 



II 



