"One afternoon, as I was sitting on my box, rather cold and chilly, for the fog was a-comin' creepin' on earlier nor usual, I was amusin' myself a pickin' ov a few walnuts--eight a penny, you know, without the port wine and salt. It was a dull sort of time, when you could hear the muffin bell a-going down the side streets; and the fires shining through the window-blinds looked warm and cosy. I was a pickin' and growlin' away at my nuts--for they didn't skin easy, besides being werry dry, when who should I see a-comin' but my reg'lar fare. Up he comes along the street, straight and stiff as a drill-sergeant, and though half a dozen whips runs up touting for the job, he never takes no notice of 'em, and I draws up to the kerb, jumps down to let him in, and opens the door, when he stops with one leg in the keb. "Yer see, this wasn't a reg'lar thing, for arter the first time I allus knew what he wanted, and we understood one another, so that it was all done this way: jump in--set down--take up agin--set down agin--pay up-- touch yer 'at--jump on the box--and nary word spoken. Sooted him, yer know; and it sooted me; so what more did you want? But now on this day it was diffurnt, for, as I said afore, he stops with one leg in the keb, and begins to speak, quite pleasant, and quiet, and civil, as a gentleman could speak, and he says, `Kebman, I thank you for your attention. Here's a suffrin for you. Drive on.' "In course, I thanked him; but he didn't seem to want to be talked to, and I drives on, thinking it was a rum start paying aforehand. Not as I'd got anything to grumble about, for a suffrin warn't to be sneezed at, as the sayin' is. So I drives up to the cemetery gates; sets him down; puts the nose-bag on the mare I drove then; an' lights my pipe. "One pipe allus used to do for me while he went in and came out; so I used to smoke it, and then put it away. But this time he didn't come back so soon as usual, or else, being a bit outer sorts in stummick and pocket, I'd smoked faster; so I pulls it out and lights up agen, and a good deal o' bother I had, I remember, for the matches was damp, and there was I a-rubbin' one arter the other again the pipe bowl for long enough, inside my hat.