-Miss Aubrey's, and one of the nursery-maids, going down
by the coach which had carried Sam--the Tally-ho. The coach-box was
piled up with that sort of luggage which, by its lightness and bulk,
denotes lady-travelling: inside were Mrs. and Miss Aubrey muffled in
furs, shawls, and pelisses; a nursery-maid, with little Master and Miss
Aubrey, equally well protected from the cold; and the vacant seat
awaited Mr. Aubrey, who at length made his appearance, having been
engaged till the latest moment in giving and repeating specific
instructions concerning the forwarding of his letters and papers. As
soon as he had taken his place, and all had been snugly disposed within,
the steps were doubled up, the door was closed, the windows were drawn
up--crack! crack! went the whips of the two postilions, and away rolled
the carriage over the dry hard pavement.

"Now that's what I calls doing it _uncommon_ comfortable," said a
pot-boy to one of the footmen at an adjoining house, where he was
delivering the porter for the servants' dinner; "how _werry_ nice and
snug them two looks in the rumble behind!"

"_We_ goes to-morrow," carelessly replied the gentleman whom he had
addressed.

"It's a fine thing to be gentlefolk," said the boy, taking up his
pot-board.

"Pretty well--but one tires of it in time!" drawled the footman,
twitching up his shirt-collar.

On drawing up to the posting-house, which was within about forty miles
of Yatton, the Aubreys found a carriage and four just ready to start,
after changing horses; and whose should this prove to be, but Lord De la
Zouch's, containing himself, his lady, and his son, Mr. Delamere! His
lordship and his son both alighted on accidentally discovering who had
overtaken them; and coming up to Mr. Aubrey's carriage windows,
exchanged surprised and cordial greetings with its occupants--whom Lord
De la Zouch imagined to have been by this time on their way to
Shropshire. Mr. Delamere manifested a surprising eagerness about the
welfare of little Agnes Aubrey, who happened to be lying fast asleep in
Miss Aubrey's lap; but the evening was fast advancing, and both the
travelling parties had yet before them a considerable portion of their
journey. After a hasty promise on the part of each to dine with the
other, before returning to town for the season--a promise which _Mr.
Delamere_ at all events resolved should not be lost sight of--they
parted. 'Twas eight o'clock before Mr. Aubrey's eye, which