226 THE COACHING ERA 



and vivid imagination might v^^ell pass for erudition he 

 sustained his part with credit, and the gentleman 

 "thought he had met with a well-informed passenger, 

 which is an accident so desirable on a stage-coach." 



Unfortunately, when the topic of railways was 

 exhausted he changed the subje6l with some suddenness 

 by asking "the probability of its turning out a good 

 turnip season." Lamb, "not knowing a turnip from a 

 potato," replied glibly, and with seeming irrelevance: 

 "I believe it depends very much upon boiled legs of 

 mutton." A reply which astounded the gentleman and 

 set the other passengers laughing. 



