62 STAGE-COACH AND MAIL IN DAYS 01 YORE 



were, generally speaking, the church steeples. 

 Ordinarily higher than the rest of the buildings, 

 they were — remarkable to relate — on that account 

 the more consj)icuous. The steeple of Grantham 

 Avas jiretty high, and saluted one's eyes at a good 

 distance before th(^ town Avas approached. It 

 seemed to be of the pyramidical kind. 



Grantham Avas a pleasant place, although the 

 houses AA^ere indifferently built. On reaching it, 

 they Avandered througli the toAvn before returning 

 to the inn for supper, AA'lien the captain took care 

 to say some ciA'il things to tlie landlady's sister, 

 Avho AA^as a \ctj handsome young Avoman. It Avas, 

 hoAvcA^er, easy to perceive that she Avas acquainted 

 with these ciA'ilities, and could distinguish betAveen 

 truth and falsehood. She made the captain keep 

 his distance in such a manner as put an entire end 

 to his compliments. The fineness of her person 

 and the beauty of her comj^lexion AA'-ere joined 

 Avith a modest severity that protected her from 

 the rudeness and insults Avhicli gentlemen think 

 themselves entitled to use toAA^ards a chamber- 

 maid, the character she acted in. 



After supper Avas done, the coach-party Avere 

 informed that some of Mr. Garrick's servants 

 Avere that night to exhibit in an old thatched 

 house in a corner of the toAvn. They had come 

 abroad into the country during the summer A^aca- 

 tion, to see if they could find anything to keep 

 their grinders going until the oj^ening of Drury 

 Lane Theatre. They Avere that night to play the 

 West Indian and the Jiihilee. 



