Thenew-comerwasawell-madefellowofaboutthirty，withanopenandagreeablecountenance。Ifoundhimverywellinformedforamaninhisstation，andwithsomepretensionstohumour。Afterwehaddiscoursedforsometimeonindifferentsubjects，thepostilion，whohadexhaustedhispipe，tookitfromhismouth，and，knockingouttheashesupontheground，exclaimed，’Ilittlethought，whenIgotupinthemorning，thatIshouldspendthenightinsuchagreeablecompany，andaftersuchafright。’
’Well，’saidI，’Iamgladthatyouropinionofushasimproved；itisnotlongsinceyouseemedtoholdusinratherasuspiciouslight。’
’Andnowonder，’saidtheman，’seeingtheplaceyouweretakingmeto!Iwasnotalittle，butverymuchafraidofyeboth；andsoI
continuedforsometime，though，nottoshowacravenheart，I
pretendedtobequitesatisfied；butIseeIwasaltogethermistakenaboutye。Ithoughtyouvagrantgypsyfolksandtrampers；
butnow-’
’Vagrantgypsyfolksandtrampers，’saidI；’andwhatarewebutpeopleofthatstamp？’
’Oh，’saidthepostilion，’ifyouwishtobethoughtsuch，Iamfartoocivilapersontocontradictyou，especiallyafteryourkindnesstome，but-’
’But!’saidI；’whatdoyoumeanbybut？IwouldhaveyoutoknowthatIamproudofbeingatravellingblacksmith；lookatthesedonkey-shoes，Ifinishedthemthisday。’
Thepostiliontooktheshoesandexaminedthem。’Soyoumadetheseshoes？’hecriedatlast。
’TobesureIdid；doyoudoubtit？’
’Notintheleast，’saidtheman。
’Ah!ah!’saidI，’IthoughtIshouldbringyoubacktoyouroriginalopinion。Iam，then，avagrantgypsybody，atramper，awanderingblacksmith。’
’Notablacksmith，whateverelseyoumaybe，’saidthepostilion，laughing。
’Thenhowdoyouaccountformymakingthoseshoes？’
’Byyournotbeingablacksmith，’saidthepostilion；’noblacksmithwouldhavemadeshoesinthatmanner。Besides，whatdidyoumeanjustnowbysayingyouhadfinishedtheseshoesto-day？A
realblacksmithwouldhaveflungoffthreeorfoursetsofdonkey-
shoesinonemorning，butyou，Iwillbesworn，havebeenhammeringatthesefordays，andtheydoyoucredit-butwhy？-becauseyouarenoblacksmith；no，friend，yourshoesmaydoforthisyounggentlewoman’sanimal，butIshouldn’tliketohavemyhorsesshodbyyou，unlessatagreatpinchindeed。’
’Then，’saidI，’forwhatdoyoutakeme？’
’Why，forsomerunawayyounggentleman，’saidthepostilion。’Nooffence，Ihope？’
’Noneatall；nooneisoffendedatbeingtakenormistakenforayounggentleman，whetherrunawayornot；butfromwhencedoyousupposeIhaverunaway？’
’Why，fromcollege，’saidtheman：’nooffence？’
’Nonewhatever；andwhatinducedmetorunawayfromcollege？’
’Aloveaffair，I’llbesworn，’saidthepostilion。’Youhadbecomeacquaintedwiththisyounggentlewoman，sosheandyou-’
’Mindhowyougeton，friend，’saidBelle，inadeepserioustone。
’Prayproceed，’saidI；’Idaresayyoumeannooffence。’
’Noneintheworld，’saidthepostilion；’allIwasgoingtosaywas，thatyouagreedtorunawaytogether，youfromcollege，andshefromboarding-school。Well，there’snothingtobeashamedofinamatterlikethat，suchthingsaredoneeverydaybyyoungfolksinhighlife。’
’Areyouoffended？’saidItoBelle。
Bellemadenoanswer；but，placingherelbowsonherknees，buriedherfaceinherhands。
’Soweranawaytogether？’saidI。
’Ay，ay，’saidthepostilion，’toGretnaGreen，thoughIcan’tsaythatIdroveye，thoughIhavedrivenmanyapair。’
’AndfromGretnaGreenwecamehere？’
’I’llbeboundyoudid，’saidtheman，’tillyoucouldarrangemattersathome。’
’Andthehorse-shoes？’saidI。
’Thedonkey-shoesyoumean，’answeredthepostilion；’why，I
supposeyoupersuadedtheblacksmithwhomarriedyoutogiveyou，beforeyouleft，afewlessonsinhistrade。’
’Andweintendtostayheretillwehavearrangedmattersathome？’
’Ay，ay，’saidthepostilion，’tilltheoldpeoplearepacified，andtheysendyoulettersdirectedtothenextposttown，tobelefttillcalledfor，beginningwith“Dearchildren，“andenclosingyoueachachequeforonehundredpounds，whenyouwillleavethisplace，andgohomeinacoachlikegentlefolks，tovisityourgovernors；Ishouldlikenothingbetterthantohavethedrivingofyou：andthentherewillbeagrandmeetingofthetwofamilies，andafterafewreproaches，theoldpeoplewillagreetodosomethinghandsomeforthepoorthoughtlessthings；soyouwillhaveagenteelhousetakenforyou，andanannuityallowedyou。
Youwon’tgetmuchthefirstyear，fivehundredatthemost，inorderthattheoldfolksmayletyoufeelthattheyarenotaltogethersatisfiedwithyou，andthatyouareyetentirelyintheirpower；butthesecond，ifyoudon’tgetacoolthousand，mayIcatchcold，especiallyshouldyoungmadamherepresentasonandheirfortheoldpeopletofondle，destinedonedaytobecomesoleheirofthetwoillustrioushouses；andthenallthegrandfolksintheneighbourhood，whohave-blesstheirprudenthearts!-keptratheralooffromyoutillthen，forfearyoushouldwantanythingfromthem-Isayallthecarriagepeopleintheneighbourhood，whentheyseehowswimminglymattersaregoingon，willcomeinshoalstovisityou。’
’Really，’saidI，’youaregettingonswimmingly。’
’Oh，’saidthepostilion，’Iwasnotagentleman’sservantnineyearswithoutlearningthewaysofgentry，andbeingabletoknowgentrywhenIseethem。’
’Andwhatdoyousaytoallthis？’IdemandedofBelle。
’Stopamoment，’interposedthepostilion，’Ihaveonemorewordtosay：-andwhenyouaresurroundedbyyourcomforts，keepingyournicelittlebaroucheandpair，yourcoachmanandliveryservant，andvisitedbyallthecarriagepeopleintheneighbourhood-tosaynothingofthetimewhenyoucometothefamilyestatesonthedeathoftheoldpeople-Ishouldn’twonderifnowandthenyoulookbackwithlongingandregrettothedayswhenyoulivedinthedampdrippingdingle，hadnobetterequipagethanaponyordonkeycart，andsawnobettercompanythanatramperorgypsy，exceptonce，whenapoorpostilionwasgladtoseathimselfatyourcharcoalfire。’
’Pray，’saidI，’didyouevertakelessonsinelocution？’
’Notdirectly，’saidthepostilion；’butmyoldmaster，whowasinParliament，did，andsodidhisson，whowasintendedtobeanorator。Agreatprofessorusedtocomeandgivethemlessons，andIusedtostandandlisten，bywhichmeansIpickedupaconsiderablequantityofwhatiscalledrhetoric。InwhatIlastsaid，IwasaimingatwhatIhaveheardhimfrequentlyendeavouringtoteachmygovernorsasathingindispensablynecessaryinalloratory，agracefulpere-pere-peregrination。’
’Peroration，perhaps？’
’Justso，’saidthepostilion；’andnowI’msureIamnotmistakenaboutyou；youhavetakenlessonsyourself，atfirsthand，inthecollegevacations，andapromisingpupilyouwere，Imakenodoubt。
Well，yourfriendswillbeallthehappiertogetyouback。Hasyourgovernormuchboroughinterest？’
’Iaskyouoncemore，’saidI，addressingmyselftoBelle，’whatyouthinkofthehistorywhichthisgoodmanhasmadeforus？’
’WhatshouldIthinkofit，’saidBelle，stillkeepingherfaceburiedinherhands，’butthatitismerenonsense？’
’Nonsense!’saidthepostilion。
’Yes，’saidthegirl，’andyouknowit。’
’Maymylegalwaysache，ifIdo，’saidthepostilion，pattinghislegwithhishand；’willyoupersuademethatthisyoungmanhasneverbeenatcollege？’
’Ihaveneverbeenatcollege，but-’
’Ay，ay，’saidthepostilion，’but-’
’IhavebeentothebestschoolsinBritain，tosaynothingofacelebratedoneinIreland。’
’Well，then，itcomestothesamething，’saidthepostilion，’orperhapsyouknowmorethanifyouhadbeenatcollege-andyourgovernor-’
’Mygovernor，asyoucallhim，’saidI，’isdead。’
’Andhisboroughinterest？’
’Myfatherhadnoboroughinterest，’saidI；’hadhepossessedany，hewouldperhapsnothavedied，ashedid，honourablypoor。’
’No，no，’saidthepostilion，’ifhehadhadboroughinterest，hewouldn’thavebeenpoor，norhonourable，thoughperhapsarighthonourable。However，withyourgrandeducationandgenteelmanners，youmadeallrightatlastbypersuadingthisnobleyounggentlewomantorunawayfromboarding-schoolwithyou。’
’Iwasneveratboarding-school，’saidBelle，’unlessyoucall-’
’Ay，ay，’saidthepostilion，’boarding-schoolisvulgar，Iknow：
Ibegyourpardon，Ioughttohavecalleditacademy，orbysomeothermuchfinername-youwereinsomethingmuchgreaterthanaboarding-school。’
’Thereyouareright，’saidBelle，liftingupherheadandlookingthepostilionfullinthefacebythelightofthecharcoalfire，’forIwasbredintheworkhouse。’
’Wooh!’saidthepostilion。
’ItistruethatIamofgood-’
’Ay，ay，’saidthepostilion，’letushear-’
’Ofgoodblood，’continuedBelle；’mynameisBerners，IsopelBerners，thoughmyparentswereunfortunate。Indeed，withrespecttoblood，IbelieveIamofbetterbloodthantheyoungman。’
’Thereyouaremistaken，’saidI；’bymyfather’ssideIamofCornishblood，andbymymother’sofbraveFrenchProtestantextraction。Now，withrespecttothebloodofmyfather-andtobedescendedwellonthefather’ssideistheprincipalthing-itisthebestbloodintheworld，fortheCornishblood，astheproverbsays-’