Lorry, getting down into the road--assisted from behind more swiftly than politely by the other two passengers, who immediately scrambled into the
coach, shut the door, and pulled up the window.
Don Quixote was, as has been said, speaking to the lady in the
coach: "Your beauty, lady mine," said he, "may now dispose of your person as may be most in accordance with your pleasure, for the pride of your ravishers lies prostrate on the ground through this strong arm of mine; and lest you should be pining to know the name of your deliverer, know that I am called Don Quixote of La Mancha, knight-errant and adventurer, and captive to the peerless and beautiful lady Dulcinea del Toboso: and in return for the service you have received of me I ask no more than that you should return to El Toboso, and on my behalf present yourself before that lady and tell her what I have done to set you free."
'As quickly as my uncle said the words, the guard appeared at the
coach window, with the gentleman's sword in his hand.
The guard, who is alone with him on the back of the
coach, is silent, but has muffled Tom's feet up in straw, and put the end of an oat-sack over his knees.
'Off she goes!' And off she did go--if
coaches be feminine--amidst a loud flourish from the guard's horn, and the calm approval of all the judges of
coaches and coach-horses congregated at the Peacock, but more especially of the helpers, who stood, with the cloths over their arms, watching the
coach till it disappeared, and then lounged admiringly stablewards, bestowing various gruff encomiums on the beauty of the turn-out.
Nothing remained but to help her into the
coach, and plod on, through the journey of the day and the journey of life, as comfortably as we could.
Accordingly, having reduced the luggage within the smallest possible compass (by sending back to New York, to be afterwards forwarded to us in Canada, so much of it as was not absolutely wanted); and having procured the necessary credentials to banking- houses on the way; and having moreover looked for two evenings at the setting sun, with as well-defined an idea of the country before us as if we had been going to travel into the very centre of that planet; we left Baltimore by another railway at half-past eight in the morning, and reached the town of York, some sixty miles off, by the early dinner-time of the Hotel which was the starting-place of the four-horse
coach, wherein we were to proceed to Harrisburg.
Pierre took her outstretched hand and kissed it awkwardly as he walked along beside her while the
coach still moved on.
Screw, in attendance on the runner, traveling inside the
coach in the character of an invalid.
She never went to Snowfield--she took the
coach to Stoniton, but I can't learn nothing of her after she got down from the Stoniton
coach."
I took a gold watch, with a silk purse of gold, his fine full-bottom periwig and silver-fringed gloves, his sword and fine snuff-box, and gently opening the
coach door, stood ready to jump out while the
coach was going on; but the
coach stopped in the narrow street beyond Temple Bar to let another
coach pass, I got softly out, fastened the door again, and gave my gentleman and the
coach the slip both together, and never heard more of them.
The
coach was in the yard, shining very much all over, but without any horses to it as yet; and it looked in that state as if nothing was more unlikely than its ever going to London.
