now THE COACH PASSENGERS EARED 341 



approaching' a stout gentleman in the act of 

 helping himself to that part of the joint so highly 

 prized by epicures, called the ' Pope's eye.' The 

 direction of the knife is instantly changed, and 

 the lady's plate filled Avith a somewhat less desir- 

 able ration. ' Please, sir, a little fat,' continues 

 the assiduous waiter, ' and a little gravy,' he adds, 

 anxious to earn a tip from the old stager of the 

 male sex, who thus invariably forwarded his 

 demands, as coming from a lady. Numerous 

 other applications are made to the carver, who, 

 disgusted with his j^lace, helps himself to his 

 coveted delicacy, and requests the waiter, with 

 emphasis, to attend to the other passengers 

 himself. 



" Time flies fast, and especially time devoted 

 to pleasure, and none of the party are aware 

 how fast the glass has run, until the entrance of 

 the coachman, informing all concerned that the 

 coach is ready. 



" Up starts the stout gentleman. ' Coachman, 

 the time can't be up ; I've not eaten a morsel.' 



" ' Pull twenty minutes, sir,' replies that Jehu. 



" ' Abominable,' continues the first speaker. 



" ' Who risetli from a feast with that keen 

 appetite that he sits down ? ' quotes a stage-struck 

 attorney's clerk. 



" ' I have,' mutters the Daniel Lambert of the 



party ; ' and if Shakespeare wrote that well, 



coach-dinners were not known in his time.' 



" Now^ we do as we saw the ' Independents ' 

 do before us, and fee the coachman, scramble for 



