"Ay, things be main different in village now, sure," said Lumpy. "To think what mighty changes come in a little time! Zeems only a few days sin’ young pa’son won that noble match—you mind, souls, the day the lord’s carriage broke under the weight of the Queen’s purse—ay, the day afore he were stopped in old road. I never understood the rights o’ that bit o’ work. Gaffer, hav ’ee got that printed paper ye read, where the Lun’on talk be given like the words of a book?" Old Minshull slowly drew from his pocket a folded sheet, rather dirty, worn at the edges, and falling apart at the folds. He opened it out with great care, and spread it on his knees. "That’s he," said Lumpy. "Gaffer, you be a scholard; read it out loud to us again." "Ay, an’ don’t need spectacles neither," said Minshull proudly; "well, listen, souls." Very slowly, and with as much deliberation as though he were reading it for the first instead of the hundredth time, and moving his forefinger along the line, the old man began to read the account of the attempted robbery of Lord Godolphin which the _Daily Courant_ presented to the London public a week after the event. The names of the principal persons concerned appeared with a dash between the initial and final letters, and Godolphin’s was read by Minshull as "Lard G line n". After briefly relating the incident, the writer of the paragraph added: "’Tis said the Prisoner that broke jail was a Servant of a Captain A——y, a Guest at that time of Esq. N——s B——y. The gallant Captain’s Commission (as it is credibly reported) is not under the seal of her Gracious Majestie, or King William lately Deceas’d of Noble Memorie, but of the Czar of Muscovy. ’Tis vouch’d by some ’twas none other than the Great Cham." "Ay, that’s print," said Soapy Dick at the conclusion of the reading. "The ’Cap’n A line y’ was Cap’n Aglionby sure enough, an’ some did zay as how ’twas he let the pris’ner out o’ lock-up, and so brought shame to Will’m Nokes." "Ay, an’ some did say as how the Cap’n hisself made one o’ the cut-purse rogues as waylaid the lard," said Honest John. "Old wives’ tales," said Minshull. "My boy Sherry be wise for his years, an’ he says Cap’n couldn’t ha’ let prisoner out, ’cause a’ were miles away at the time. And as for Cap’n bein’ on the road—why, when Sir Godfrey coom in all the might o’ the law to ’stablish the truth, Squire up and said as how Cap’n was abed and asleep on that early mornen when the deed was done." "Ay true, Squire said so; but did a’ take his dyin’ oath like a common man? Tell me that, souls." At this moment the conversation was interrupted, and the villagers were thrilled into excitement by the distant tootle of a horn. "Here be coach at last," cried the ostler. "Ten minutes behind time, and no sign of young Master Rochester. Giles coachman won’t wait, not he."