It was well that he was so quick in his operations, did not dawdle over
his luggage, and took the early coach, for as soon as the mistake about
Prince Bulbo was found out, that cruel Glumboso sent up a couple of
policemen to Prince Giglio’s room, with orders that he should be carried
to Newgate, and his head taken off before twelve o’clock. But the coach
was out of the Paflagonian dominions before two o’clock; and I dare say
the express that was sent after Prince Giglio did not ride very quick,
for many people in Paflagonia had a regard for Giglio, as the son of
their old sovereign; a Prince who, with all his weaknesses, was very
much better than his brother, the usurping, lazy, careless, passionate,
tyrannical, reigning monarch. That Prince busied himself with the balls,
fetes, masquerades, hunting-parties, and so forth, which he thought
proper to give on occasion of his daughter’s marriage to Prince Bulbo;
and let us trust was not sorry in his own heart that his brother’s son
had escaped the scaffold.
It was very cold weather, and the snow was on the ground, and
Giglio, who gave his name as simple Mr. Giles, was very glad to get a
comfortable place in the coupe of the diligence, where he sat with the
conductor and another gentleman. At the first stage from Blombodinga,
as they stopped to change horses, there came up to the diligence a very
ordinary, vulgar-looking woman, with a bag under her arm, who asked
for a place. All the inside places were taken, and the young woman was
informed that if she wished to travel, she must go upon the roof; and
the passenger inside with Giglio (a rude person, I should think), put
his head out of the window, and said, ‘Nice weather for travelling
outside! I wish you a pleasant journey, my dear.’ The poor woman coughed
very much, and Giglio pitied her. ‘I will give up my place to her,’
says he, ‘rather than she should travel in the cold air with that horrid
cough.’ On which the vulgar traveller said, ‘YOU’D keep her warm, I am
sure, if it’s a MUFF she wants.’ On which Giglio pulled his nose, boxed
his ears, hit him in the eye, and gave this vulgar person a warning
never to call him MUFF again.
Then he sprang up gaily on to the roof of the diligence, and made
himself very comfortable in the straw.
The vulgar traveller got down only at the next station, and Giglio took
his place again, and talked to the person next to him. She appeared
to be a most agreeable, well-informed, and entertaining female. They
travelled together till night, and she gave Giglio all sorts of things
out of the bag which she carried, and which indeed seemed to contain the
most wonderful collection of articles. He was thirsty--out there came a
pint bottle of Bass’s pale ale, and a silver mug! Hungry--she took out
a cold fowl, some slices of ham, bread, salt, and a most delicious piece
of cold plum-pudding, and a little glass of brandy afterwards.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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