much back in the mountains? You had no object in coming down about the coast; and they have had rather hot work there." "No, Madam, I had not the slightest object to take me near Chusan--I kept a great way back." "That was right; oh, how judicious! Oh, I have read your interesting work so often. By the way, these fellows are not from the coast--they are from a great way back, I dare say?" "Yes, Madam, they are a great way in the interior." "I thought so, I knew so--I can tell, d' ye see--I can always tell a coaster. These are fine men--they grow tea, I suppose, though?" "No, these people don't grow tea." "Ah, well, it's late, we won't take up your time; but I have been so happy to have seen you--glad, glad to see you home alive to your native soil, and out of that plagued India. Good night." "Good night, ladies." As they left me, I turned round, and met a poor fellow approaching me on one leg and a pair of crutches, and his wife holding on to his arm. He said he had been waiting some time to have the honour of speaking to me before he left, having heard my name pronounced. He told me he lived at Woolwich, where he held some situation for life, as he had lost his leg in the service of his country, and it was a good living for him, luckily, though he had been so unfortunate as to lose his leg. "My wife and I (said he) ave long eard of this extro'nary hexibition, and she as often hax'd me to come to see it; and though we ave been off and hon about it a great many times, we never got off together until this hafter-noon--it's a wonderful sight, sir, hand we are appy to ave seen you halso." I thanked the poor fellow, and asked him how he lost his leg. "It was done by the kick of a orse, Sir." "But your leg has been taken off above your knee." "Yes, Sir, the bone was broken, hand it ad to be hamputated." "It must have been very painful!" "Ah, hit urt a little; though as for the pain of hamputation, I woudn't give a penny for it: but the loss of my leg is worth a great deal to me; it's hall ealed up now, Sir, though it's very hunandy." This simple and unfortunate man and his very pretty little wife left me, and I repaired to the Indians' rooms in St. James's Street, where I found them finishing their suppers and taking their _chickabobboo_. Here was in readiness a long catalogue of the adventures of the day--of things they had seen in their drive, &c., to be talked over, as well as the cruel jokes to be listened to, which they were all passing upon the poor Doctor, for the sudden failure of his prospects of digging roots in the fair dame's garden.