"By-and-by came another coach, and we got into it. Fortunately twa young London lads, clerks or siclike, were within. They endured her tongue for a time, but at last they whispered each other, and one of them giving me a nodge or sign, taught me to expect they would try to silence her. Accordingly the other broke suddenly out into an immoderate doff-like laugh that was really awful. The mistress paused for a minute, wondering what it could be at; anon, however, her tongue got under way, and off she went; presently again the younker gave another gaffaw, still more dreadful than the first. His companion, seeing the effect it produced on Madam, said, 'Don't be apprehensive; he has only been for some time in a sort of deranged state; he is quite harmless, I can assure you.' This had the desired effect, and from that moment till I got her safe off in a hackney-coach from where the stage stoppit, there was nae word out of her head; she was as quiet as pussy, and cowered in to me in terrification o' the madman breaking out. I thought it a souple trick o' the Londoners. In short," said Mr M'Waft, "though my adventures with the wearyful woman is a story now to laugh at, it was in its time nothing short of a calamity." PRINTED BY WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS, EDINBURGH. TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE: Minor changes have been made to correct typesetters' errors; otherwise, every effort has been made to remain true to the authors' words and intent. End of Project Gutenberg's Tales from "Blackwood," Volume 3, by Various