aw, and explain loudly and slowly to my
Sassenach ears, "He's jest telling ye--that 't'll be the better forrr
ye--y'unnerstan'--to hev a caaaab that's got an i(ro)n railing on the
top of it--for the sake of yourrr boxes." And in due time I was handed
over to a cab with an iron railing, the Simian left me, and so friendly
a young cabby (also dirty) took me in hand that I began to think he was
drunk, but soon found that he was only exceedingly kind and lengthily
conversational! When he had settled the boxes, put on his coat, argued
out the Crums' family and their residences, first with me and then with
his friends on the platform, we were just off when a thought seemed to
strike him, and back he came to the open window, and saying "Ye'll be
the better of havin' this ap"--scratched it up from the outside with
nails like Nebuchadnezzar's. Whether my face looked as if I did not like
it or what, I don't know, but down came the window again with a rattle,
and he wagged the leather strap almost in my face and said, "there's
_hoals_ in't, an' ye can jest let it down to yer own satisfaction if ye
fin' it gets clos." Then he rattled it up again, mounted the box, and
off we went. Oh, _such_ a jolting drive of six miles! Such wrenching
over tramway lines! But I had my fine air-cushions, and my spine must
simply be another thing to what it was six months back. Oh, he was
funny! I found that he did NOT know the way to Thornliebank, but having
a general idea, and a (no doubt just) faith in his own powers, he swore
he did know, and utterly resented asking bystanders. After we got far
away from houses, on the bleak roads in the dark night, I merely felt
one must take what came. By and by he turned round and began to retrace
his steps. I put out my head (as I did at intervals to his great
disgust; he always pitched well into me--"We're aal right--just
com--pose yeself," etc.), but he assured me he'd only just gone by the
gate. So by and by we drew up, no lights in the lodge, no answer to
shouts--then he got down, and in the darkness I heard the gates grating
as if they had not been opened for a century. Then under overhanging
trees, and at last in the dim light I saw that the walls were broken
down and weeds were thick round our wheels. I could bear it no longer,
and put out my head again, and I shall never forget the sight. The moon
was coming a little bit from behind the clouds, and showed a court-yard
in which we had pulled up, surrounde