266 HIGHWAYS AND HORSES. 



his valet and a postillion. The coach entered a 

 narrow lane, where long rows of lofty over-arching 

 elms threw dense shadows on the roadway. It had 

 advanced some fifty yards along this avenue when 

 the horse on which the post-boy rode suddenly shied, 

 and, tossing his head, reared at some obstacle on the 

 ground. His rider spurred him on and he fell, drag- 

 ging with him the off-horse, who had also stopped 

 short. 



The boy rolled from the saddle, the valet leaped 

 from the rumble, and, opening the carriage door, 

 inquired if his lordship was hurt — a question more 

 polite than necessary, seeing that nothing had hap- 

 pened that was likely to hurt him. His lordship 

 was just enjoying a doze, to which the sultriness of 

 the eveninof and the fumes of the wine he had 

 imbibed had disposed him, when he was awoke by 

 the sudden stoppage and by his valet's inquiry. 



'' What the devil's the matter now, Stevens ? 

 'Sblood ! a horse down, eh ? Help the lad to get 



him up, then, and be d d to you. Stab me, but 



you stare like a fool. Shut the door, fellow; I'm 

 drowsv." 



A minute after, Stevens again softly opened the 

 door. 



" ]\Iy lord," said he, almost in a whisper, " we 

 can't get on ; there's one of the horses disabled by 

 his fall. One would think that 'twas done designedly, 

 for there's a small tree across the road, and the bark 

 so peeled off it that the best eyes couldn't see it 

 in the moonlight. Shall I go back to the ' Star,' 

 my lord, or " 



'•' You may go to the devil, you fool ! " vociferated 

 the angry nobleman ; for, in those days, the elegant 

 accomplishments of hard swearing, hard drinking, and 



