ken out; leisurely, the coach
stands in the little street, bereft of horses, and with no likelihood
upon it of ever moving again; leisurely, the new horses come into
visible existence, one by one; leisurely, the new postilions follow,
sucking and plaiting the lashes of their whips; leisurely, the old
postilions count their money, make wrong additions, and arrive at
dissatisfied results. All the time, our overfraught hearts are
beating at a rate that would far outstrip the fastest gallop of the
fastest horses ever foaled.
At length the new postilions are in their saddles, and the old are
left behind. We are through the village, up the hill, and down the
hill, and on the low watery grounds. Suddenly the postilions
exchange speech with animated gesticulations, and the horses are
pulled up, almost on their haunches. We are pursued?
“Ho! Within the carriage there. Speak then!”
“What is it?” asks Mr. Lorry, looking out at window.
“How many did they say?”
“I do not understand you.”
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“At the last post. How many to the Guillotine today?”
“Fifty-two.”
“I said so! A brave number! My fellow-citizen here would have
it forty-two; ten more heads are worth having. The Guillotine goes
handsomely. I love it. Hi forward. Whoop!”
The night comes on dark. He moves more; he is beginning to
rev