134 PROFESSOR OWEN ch. iv. 



horse and galloping off. Whereupon we were 

 confidentially informed that the only individual 

 possessing a carriage in Freiburg who had re- 

 refused to contribute it to the day's excursion 

 was his Eminence the Prince Archbishop. 

 Some time having elapsed in dismal silence, 

 we concluded that we had lost our intended 

 excursion, and grieved more especially for 

 the fair bride's disappointment. It was getting 

 near eight o'clock, when we suddenly heard the 

 clatter of hoofs and the sound of carriage wheels, 

 and there drew up at the Town Hall a grand 

 capacious coach, with four fine long-tailed black 

 horses, a corpulent coachman in purple livery, 

 and, hanging on behind, a footman in the same, 

 and a chasseur in green and gold ! 



' The two latter descended ; one threw open 

 the coach door, the other rattled down the steps, 

 and in we went as directed. I thought Madame 

 Eschricht would have vanished in the depth of 

 the purple cushion on which she sank! No 

 sooner were we all seated than the steps were put 

 up, the door banged to, clack went the coach- 

 man's whip, and we were rattling over the town 

 pavement in a style that brought all the remaining 

 residents, as it seemed, to be spectators. 



' Now the solution of this unexpected phe- 

 nomenon, as the cavalier Professor afterwards 

 explained to me, was as follows : — 



1 Deeply impressed by the disgrace which he 



