The young gentlewoman laughed, shaking her curls.
“I’ll give him in that case three better counsels yet: first (for by his habit I see he is on the King’s side), let him take a circuit from this place to the south, for the road between Marlboro’ and Bristol is, they tell me, all held by the rebels; next, let him avoid all women, even tho’ they ask but an innocent cup of water; and lastly, let him shun thee, unless thy face lie more than thy tongue. Shall I say more?”
“Why, no—perhaps better not,” replied the old rogue hastily, but laughing all the same. “That’s a clever lass,” he added, as the door shut behind her.
And, indeed, I was fain, next morning, to agree to this. For, awaking, I found my friend (who had shar’d a room with me) already up and gone, and discovered the reason in a sheet of writing pinn’d to my clothes——
“Young Sir,—I convict myself of ingratitude: but habit is hard to break. So I have made off with the half of thy guineas and thy horse. The residue, and the letter thou bearest, I leave. ’Tis a good world, and experience should be bought early. This golden lesson I leave in return for the guineas. Believe me, ’tis of more worth. Read over those verses on the windowpane before starting, digest them, and trust me, thy obliged,
“Peter, The Jackman.
“Raise not thy hand so often to thy breast: ’tis a sure index of hidden valuables.”
Be sure I was wroth enough: nor did the calm interest of the two snail owners appease me, when at breakfast I told them a part of the story. But I thought I read sympathy in the low price at which one of them offer’d me his horse. ’Twas a tall black brute, very strong in the loins, and I bought him at once out of my shrunken stock of guineas. At ten o’clock, I set out, not along the Bath road, but bearing to the south, as the young gentlewoman had counselled. I began to hold a high opinion of her advice.
By twelve o’clock I was back at the inn door, clamoring to see the man that sold me the horse, which had gone dead lame after the second mile.
“Dear heart!” cried the landlord; “they are gone, the both, this hour and a half. But they are coming again within the fortnight; and I’m expressly to report if you return’d, as they had a wager about it.”