Before departing,however,I bethought me of my old friend the apple-woman of London Bridge.Apprehensive that she might be labouring under the difficulties of poverty,I sent her a piece of gold by the hands of a young maiden in the house in which I lived.
The latter punctually executed her commission,but brought me back the piece of gold.The old woman would not take it;she did not want it,she said.'Tell the poor thin lad,'she added,'to keep it for himself,he wants it more than I.'
Rather late one afternoon I departed from my lodging,with my stick in one hand and a small bundle in the other,shaping my course to the south-west:when I first arrived,somewhat more than a year before,I had entered the city by the north-east.As I was not going home,I determined to take my departure in the direction the very opposite to home.
Just as I was about to cross the street called the Haymarket,at the lower part,a cabriolet,drawn by a magnificent animal,came dashing along at a furious rate;it stopped close by the curb-stone where I was,a sudden pull of the reins nearly bringing the spirited animal upon its haunches.The Jehu who had accomplished this feat was Francis Ardry.A small beautiful female,with flashing eyes,dressed in the extremity of fashion,sat beside him.
'Holloa,friend,'said Francis Ardry,'whither bound?'
'I do not know,'said I;'all I can say is,that I am about to leave London.'
'And the means?'said Francis Ardry.
'I have them,'said I,with a cheerful smile.
'Qui est celui-ci?'demanded the small female,impatiently.
'C'est-mon ami le plus intime;so you were about to leave London,without telling me a word,'said Francis Ardry,somewhat angrily.
'I intended to have written to you,'said I:'what a splendid mare that is.'
'Is she not?'said Francis Ardry,who was holding in the mare with difficulty;'she cost a hundred guineas.'
'Qu'est ce qu'il dit?'demanded his companion.
'Il dit que le jument est bien beau.'
'Allons,mon ami,il est tard,'said the beauty,with a scornful toss of her head;'allons!'
'Encore un moment,'said Francis Ardry;'and when shall I see you again?'
'I scarcely know,'I replied:'I never saw a more splendid turn out.'
'Qu'est ce qu'il dit?'I said the lady again.
'Il dit que tout l'equipage est en assez bon gout.'
'Allons,c'est un ours,'said the lady;'le cheval meme en a peur,'
added she,as the mare reared up on high.
'Can you find nothing else to admire but the mare and the equipage?'said Francis Ardry,reproachfully,after he had with some difficulty brought the mare to order.
Lifting my hand,in which I held my stick,I took off my hat.'How beautiful!'said I,looking the lady full in the face.
'Comment?'said the lady,inquiringly.
'Il dit que vous etes belle comme un ange,'said Francis Ardry,emphatically.
'Mais,a la bonne heure!arretez,mon ami,'said the lady to Francis Ardry,who was about to drive off;'je voudrais bien causer un moment avec lui;arretez,il est delicieux.-Est-ce bien ainsi que vous traitez vos amis?'said she passionately,as Francis Ardry lifted up his whip.'Bon jour,Monsieur,bon jour,'said she,thrusting her head from the side and looking back,as Francis Ardry drove off at the rate of thirteen miles an hour.