Well--I go back on the coach-box, but I look, as I pass, at all the
women ear, for the _box_; but not none I see. "Well," I tell myself once
more, "never mind, we shall see;" and we drive on very passable and
agreeable times till we approached ourselves near London; but then come
one another coach of the opposition to pass by, and the coachman say,
"No, my boy, it shan't do!" and then he whip his horses, and made
some traverse upon the road, and tell to me, all the times, a long
explication what the other coachmen have done otherwhiles, and finish
not till we stop, and the coach of opposition come behind him in one
narrow place. Well--then he twist himself round, and with full voice,
cry himself out at the another man, who was so angry as himself, "I'll
tell you what, my hearty! if you comes some more of your gammon at me,
I shan't stand, and you shall yourself find in the wrong _box_." It
was not for many weeks after as I find out the wrong _box_ meaning.
Well--we get at London, at the coaches office, and I unlightened from my
seat, and go at the bureau for pay my passage, and gentleman very polite
demanded if I had some friend at London. I converse with him very little
time in voyaging, because he was in the interior; but I perceive he is
real gentleman. So, I say, "No, sir, I am stranger." Then he very
honestly recommend me at an hotel, very proper, and tell me, "Sir,
because I have some affairs in the Banque, I must sleep in the City this
night; but to-morrow I shall come at the hotel, where you shall find
some good attentions if you make the use of my name." "Very well," I
tell myself, "this is best." So we exchange the cards, and I have
hackney-coach to come at my hotel, where they say, "No room, sir,--very
sorry,--no room." But I demand to stop the moment, and produce the card
what I could not read before, in the movements of the coach with the
darkness. The master of the hotel take it from my hand, and become very
polite at the instant, and whisper to the ear of some waiters, and then
come at me, and say, "Oh yes, sir, I know Mr _Box_ very well. Worthy
gentleman, Mr Box. Very proud to incommode any friend of Mr Box--pray
inlight yourself, and walk in my house." So I go in, and find myself
very proper, and soon come so as if I was in my own particular chamber;
and Mr Box come next day, and I find very soon that he was the
_right_ Box, and not the _wrong_ box. Ha, ha!--You shall excuse my
badinage,--eh? But never mind--I am going at Leicestershire to see the
foxes hunting, and perhaps will get upon a coach-box in the spring, and
go at Edinburgh; but I have fear I cannot come at your "Noctes," because
I have not learnt yet to eat so great supper. I always read what they
speak there twice over, except what Monsieur Le "Shepherd" say, what I
read three time; but never could comprend exactly what he say, though
I discern some time the grand idea, what walk in darkness almost
"visible," as your divine Milton say. I am particular fond of the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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