272 STAGE-COACH AND MAIL IN DAYS OF YORE 



"comiiK^-cial gentlomcn," ayIio were now his most 

 iTcqueiit passengers, for he had ahvavs in the okl 

 days looked down upon any one under the rank of 

 a county urentleman, and conhl hy no means rid 

 himself of that ancient attitude of mind. Indeed, 

 he lived in the past, and when he could l)e iiulnced 

 to talk at all, Avould generally he reminiscent of 

 hetter days. Commencing with the unvaried 

 formula, "I've seen the time when. . . ." he would 

 then proceed to draw com})arisons, ]nuch to the 

 disadvantage of present time and })resent company. 

 He was then ahsurdly surprised when acquaint- 

 ance, tired of these tactless speeches, avoided him. 

 Not so quick in his movements as of yore, and 

 always impatient of dictation, he resented the 

 hluff impatience of a " commercial " one morning, 

 and when that " amhassador of conmicrce " desired 

 him to " look alive tliere, now, with tliose hoxes," 

 flung the hoxes themselves on the ground, and 

 told that astonished traveller to " go and he 

 damned ! " Unfortunately, although the traveller 

 would have overlooked the insolence, lie could not 

 afford to disregard the loss of his samples, wliicli 

 liappen(Kl to he china, and were all smashed. He 

 reported the occurrence to the hotel-proprietor, 

 Avho, heing a compassionate man, explained, as he 

 instantly dismissed tlie olft^ider, that lu^ Avas very 

 sorry, hut he could not afford to keep so violent 

 a man in his employ. 



After this dramatic incident the ex-coachman 

 hunsj ahoutthc station, and oljtained a few, a very 

 few, odd johs as porter, until one day a gentleman 



