''STAND, AND DELIVER." 267 



abusive lanQfuaQ^e to servants and subordinates, were 

 distinguishing features of a man of foji, to which 

 character his lordship laid a strong claim. " 'Sblood, 

 but the road survevors hereabout shall hear of this, 



the d d scoundrels ! That extortionate numskull, 



too, mine host of the ' Star,' to send a nobleman 

 forward with such floundering cats'-meat. Demme ! 

 but I'll horsewhip him round his own yard — strike 

 me dumb, but I will ! " 



His lordship, having by this time sworn himself 

 awake, looked out of the front window of the vehicle 

 with a languid yawn. 



" Stevens," said he — the valet again hastened to 

 the carriage door — " Stevens, what the devil's the 

 use of your running away ? Can't the young scamp 

 there ride back for the fresh horses as well as you, 

 you blockhead ? " 



" Certainly, my lord," replied Stevens obsequi- 

 ously ; and the boy accordingly mounted the un- 

 injured horse, and rode back to the '"' Star." 



He had scarcely cleared the lane when a man 

 stepped from behind a tree at the roadside. 



" Down on your knees, or I fire!" said he, in a 

 grufT undertone, to the valet, at the same time 

 presenting a pistol to his ear. 



The gentleman's gentleman dropped instantly at 

 the word of command, and Turpin, with a significant 

 gesture, stepped towards the open coach-door. His 

 lordship had thrown himself back, and as he had 

 sworn himself awake, was now reversing the process, 

 and proving its efficacy by an endeavour to curse 

 himself to sleep again, when a strange voice prevented 

 the progress of his experiment by bidding him " Stand, 

 and deliver ! " His lordship was certainly astonished, 

 but not being constitutionally timid, he soon saw how 



