“Just racking up for the night,” explained Mr. Babbacombe. “Seems a snug little inn. Anything amiss with it?”
“Bab, have you been asking for me there?”
“Wasn’t necessary. Fact of the matter is, Jack, I’ve had news of you for some way along the road. Dashed roadbook of mine ain’t to be trusted ’cross country, so there was nothing for it but to ask the way. No, I didn’t say a word about you, but it’s my belief you couldn’t mention the Crowford Toll-gate anywhere for six or seven miles round without being told that there’s a queer new keeper to it, the size of a mountain. As for the ale-draper at this Blue Boar of yours, he seemed to twig it was you I wanted the instant I spoke of the tollgate.”
“Lord!” said John. “Oh, well! It must be all over the village by now, so there’s no help for it! I’m devilish glad to see you, old fellow, but you must brush tomorrow! It won’t do if certain fellows here get wind of you.”
“I must what?” said Mr. Babbacombe, all at sea.
“Brush! Pike! Lope off!” said John, his eyes brimful of laughter. “In your own flash tongue, depart!”
“Yes, I know you’re up to fun and gig,” said Mr. Babbacombe severely. “Not but what I must depart tomorrow, because I didn’t bring Fockerby along with me, and what with having to see to it that the ostler at the inn I stayed at last night looked after these tits of mine, and being obliged to dashed well stand over the boots this morning—and even now they don’t look as they should—my boots, I mean!—it’s devilish exhausting! Where can I stable the bays? I can’t talk to you on the high road!”
“Well, you can’t stable them here. You must take them back to the Blue Boar.”
“But I want to talk to you!” objected Mr. Babbacombe.
“Of course, but you must see there’s no place for a curricle here, let alone a pair of horses! You’ll have to walk back: it’s not much more than a mile! Oh, lord! here’s the carrier! Mind, now, Bab, you’ve mistaken the road!” He then said, raising his voice: “No, sir, you should ha’ turned right-handed, short of the village!” and turned from the curricle to fetch the tickets from the office.