The Romany Rye

by George Borrow

  CHAPTER XXIII

  DRIVERS AND FRONT OUTSIDE PASSENGERS--FATIGUE OF BODY ANDMIND--UNEXPECTED GREETING--MY INN--THE GOVERNOR--ENGAGEMENT

  I continued my journey, passing through one or two villages. The day wasexceedingly hot, and the roads dusty. In order to cause my horse aslittle fatigue as possible, and not to chafe his back, I led him by thebridle, my doing which brought upon me a shower of remarks, jests, andwould-be witticisms from the drivers and front outside passengers ofsundry stage-coaches, which passed me in one direction or the other. Inthis way I proceeded till considerably past noon, when I felt myself veryfatigued, and my horse appeared no less so; and it is probable that thelazy and listless manner in which we were moving on tired us both muchmore effectually than hurrying along at a swift trot would have done, forI have observed that when the energies of the body are not exerted alanguor frequently comes over it. At length, arriving at a very largebuilding with an archway, near the entrance of a town, {141} I sat downon what appeared to be a stepping-block, and presently experienced agreat depression of spirits. I began to ask myself whither I was going,and what I should do with myself and the horse which I held by thebridle? It appeared to me that I was alone in the world with the pooranimal, who looked for support to me, who knew not how to support myself.Then the image of Isopel Berners came into my mind, and when I bethoughtme how I had lost her for ever, and how happy I might have been with herin the New World had she not deserted me, I became yet more miserable.

  As I sat in this state of mind, I suddenly felt some one clap me on theshoulder, and heard a voice say: 'Ha! comrade of the dingle, what chancehas brought you into these parts?' I turned round, and beheld a man inthe dress of a postillion, whom I instantly recognised as he to whom Ihad rendered assistance on the night of the storm.

  'Ah!' said I, 'is it you? I am glad to see you, for I was feeling verylonely and melancholy.'

  'Lonely and melancholy,' he replied, 'how is that? how can anyone belonely and melancholy with such a noble horse as that you hold by thebridle?'

  'The horse,' said I, 'is one cause of my melancholy, for I know not inthe world what to do with it.'

  'Is it your own?'

  'Yes,' said I, 'I may call it my own, though I borrowed the money topurchase it.'

  'Well, why don't you sell it?'

  'It is not always easy to find a purchaser for a horse like this,' saidI; 'can you recommend me one?'

  'I? Why, no, not exactly: but you'll find a purchaser shortly--pooh! Ifyou have no other cause for disquiet than that horse, cheer up, man;don't be cast down. Have you nothing else on your mind? By-the-by,what's become of the young woman you were keeping company with in thatqueer lodging-place of yours?'

  'She has left me,' said I.

  'You quarrelled, I suppose?'

  'No,' said I, 'we did not exactly quarrel, but we are parted.'

  'Well,' replied he, 'but you will soon come together again.'

  'No,' said I; 'we are parted for ever.'

  'For ever! Pooh! you little know how people sometimes come togetheragain who think they are parted for ever. Here's something on that pointrelating to myself. You remember when I told you my story in that dingleof yours, that I mentioned a young woman, my fellow-servant when I livedwith the English family in Mumbo Jumbo's town, and how she and I, whenour foolish governors were thinking of changing their religion, agreed tostand by each other, and be true to old Church of England, and to giveour governors warning, provided they tried to make us renegades. Well,she and I parted soon after that, and never thought to meet again, yet wemet the other day in the fields, for she lately came to live with a greatfamily not far from here, and we have since agreed to marry, to take alittle farm, for we have both a trifle of money, and live together till"death us do part." So much for parting for ever! But what do I mean bykeeping you broiling in the sun with your horse's bridle in your hand,and you on my own ground? Do you know where you are? Why, that greathouse is my inn, that is, it's my master's, the best fellow in ---. Comealong, you and your horse both will find a welcome at my inn.'

  Thereupon he led the way into a large court, in which there were coaches,chaises, and a great many people; taking my horse from me, he led it intoa nice cool stall, and fastening it to the rack, he then conducted meinto a postillion's keeping-room, which at that time chanced to be empty,and he then fetched a pot of beer and sat down by me.

  After a little conversation he asked me what I intended to do, and I toldhim frankly that I did not know, whereupon he observed that, provided Ihad no objection, he had little doubt that I could be accommodated forsome time at his inn. 'Our upper ostler,' said he, 'died about a weekago; he was a clever fellow, and besides his trade understood reading andaccounts.'

  'Dear me,' said I, interrupting him, 'I am not fitted for the place ofostler--moreover, I refused the place of ostler at a public-house, whichwas offered to me only a few days ago.' The postillion burst into alaugh. 'Ostler at a public-house, indeed! Why, you would not compare aberth at a place like that with the situation of ostler at my inn, thefirst road-house in England! However, I was not thinking of the place ofostler for you; you are, as you say, not fitted for it, at any rate, notat a house like this. We have, moreover, the best under-ostler in allEngland--old Bill, with the drawback that he is rather fond of drink. Wecould make shift with him very well provided we could fall in with a manof writing and figures, who could give an account of the hay and cornwhich comes in and goes out, and wouldn't object to give a lookoccasionally at the yard. Now it appears to me that you are just such akind of man, and if you will allow me to speak to the governor, I don'tdoubt that he will gladly take you, as he feels kindly disposed towardsyou from what he has heard me say concerning you.'

  'And what should I do with my horse?' said I.

  'The horse need give you no uneasiness,' said the postillion: 'I know hewill be welcome here both for bed and manger, and perhaps in a littletime you may find a purchaser, as a vast number of sporting peoplefrequent this house.' I offered two or three more objections, which thepostillion overcame with great force of argument, and the pot beingnearly empty, he drained it to the bottom drop, and then starting up,left me alone.

  In about twenty minutes he returned, accompanied by a highly intelligentlooking individual dressed in blue and black, with a particularly whitecravat, and without a hat on his head; this individual, whom I shouldhave mistaken for a gentleman but for the intelligence depicted in hisface, he introduced to me as the master of the inn. The master of theinn shook me warmly by the hand, told me that he was happy to see me inhis house, and thanked me in the handsomest terms for the kindness I hadshown to his servant in the affair of the thunder-storm. Then sayingthat he was informed I was out of employ, he assured me that he should bemost happy to engage me to keep his hay and corn account, and as generalsuperintendent of the yard, and that with respect to the horse, which hewas told I had, he begged to inform me that I was perfectly at liberty tokeep it at the inn upon the very best, until I could find a purchaser;that with regard to wages--but he had no sooner mentioned wages than Icut him short, saying that provided I stayed I should be most happy toserve him for bed and board, and requested that he would allow me untilthe next morning to consider of his offer; he willingly consented to myrequest, and, begging that I would call for anything I pleased, left mealone with the postillion.

  I passed that night until about ten o'clock with the postillion, when heleft me, having to drive a family about ten miles across the country;before his departure, however, I told him that I had determined to acceptthe offer of his governor, as he called him. At the bottom of my heart Iwas most happy that an offer had been made, which secured to myself andthe animal a comfortable retreat at a moment when I knew not whither inthe world to take myself and him.