perhaps often—in my old room; but the days of my inhabiting there were gone, and the old time was past. I was heavier at heart when I packed up such of my books and clothes as still remained there to be sent to Dover, than I cared to show to Uriah Heep: who was so officious to help me, that I uncharitably thought him mighty glad that I was going.
I got away from Agnes and her father, somehow, with an indifferent show of being very manly, and took my seat upon the box of the London coach. I was so softened and forgiving, going through the town, that I had half a mind to nod to my old enemy the butcher, and throw him five shillings to drink. But he looked such a very obdurate butcher as he stood scraping the great block in the shop, and moreover, his appearance was so little improved by the loss of a front tooth which I had knocked out, that I thought it best to make no advances.
The main object on my mind, I remember, when we got fairly on the road, was to appear as old as possible to the coachman, and to speak extremely gruff. The latter point I achieved at great personal inconvenience; but I stuck to it, because I felt it was a grown-up sort of thing.
"You are going through, sir?" said the coachman.
"Yes, William," I said, condescendingly (I knew him); "I am going to London. I shall go down into Suffolk afterwards."
"Shooting, sir?" said the coachman.
He knew as well as I did that it was just as likely, at that time of year, I was going down there whaling; but I felt complimented, too.
"I don't know," I said, pretending to be undecided, "whether I shall take a shot or not."
"Birds is got wery shy, I'm told," said William.
"So I understand," said I.
"Is Suffolk your county, sir?" asked William.
"Yes," I said, with some importance, "Suffolk's my county."
"I'm told the dumplings is uncommon fine down there," said William.
I was not aware of it myself, but I felt it necessary to uphold the institutions of my county, and to evince a familiarity with them; so I shook my head, as much as to say "I believe you!"
"And the Punches," said William. "There's cattle! A Suffolk Punch, when he's a good un, is worth his weight in gold. Did you ever breed any Suffolk Punches yourself, sir?"
"N—no," I said, "not exactly."
"Here's a gen'lm'n behind me, I'll pound it," said William, "as has bred 'em by wholesale."
The gentleman spoken of was a gentleman with a very unpromising squint, and a prominent chin, who had a tall white hat on with a narrow flat brim, and whose close-fitting drab trousers seemed to button all the way up outside his legs from his boots to his hips. His chin was cocked over the coachman's shoulder, so near to me, that his breath quite tickled the back of my head; and as I looked round at him, he leered at the leaders with the eye with which he didn't squint, in a very knowing manner.
"Ain't you?" said William.
"Ain't I what?" asked the gentleman behind.
"Bred them Suffolk Punches by wholesale?"
