“Yes, so you say; but I’d a heap rather see ’em with my own two looking eyes. And believe you I won’t till I does,” snapped mammy.
“There then, blast you, look for yourself,” said the hostler, pulling apart the leathern flaps of the boot.
Mammy peeped through the aperture, and seeing the treasure safe, she smiled and said:
“Thank ye, sir. Sorry to give you trouble; but seeing is believing, and nothing short of it aint.—Yes, honey; yes, honey, I’m coming now!” she exclaimed, in answer to her lady’s repeated summonses.
Mammy tumbled up into the coach with even more than her usual blundering awkwardness; for it was as dark as Tophet, and the guard did not seem to consider it necessary to hold a light to such a refractory passenger. And so mammy, after fumbling blindly about to find the seat she had formerly occupied, turned and dropped herself heavily down upon a gentleman’s lap. A simultaneous—
“Oh!”
A cry of pain from the victim and of surprise from the oppressor arose.
“Beg pardon, sir, I’m sure; but I’m a heavy ole ’oman, and you shouldn’t a hit up agin me.”
“Hit up agin you! Oh!” exclaimed the injured party, in a tragi-comic groan.
At the sound of his voice Drusilla started violently, and lowered her veil; though in fact it was too dark either to see or to be seen; for oh! with what a thrill of vague dread she recognized Dick Hammond’s tones, although she could not discern his face!