Doub. What’s that? A nobleman at the Green Dragon!
Pry. Traveling carriage and four. Three servants on the dickey and an outrider, all in blue liveries. They dine and stop all night. A pretty bill there will be to-morrow, for the servants are not on board wages.
Doub. Plague take the Green Dragon! How did you discover that they are not on board wages?
Pry. I was curious to know, and asked one of them. You know I never miss any thing for want of asking. ’Tis no fault of mine that the nabob is not here, at your house.
Doub. Why, what had you to do with it?
Pry. You know I never forget my friends. I stopped the carriage as it was coming down the hill—brought it to a dead stop, and said that if his lordship—I took him for a lord at once—that if his lordship intended to make any stay, he couldn’t do better than to go to Doubledot’s.
Doub. Well?
Pry. Well,—would you believe it?—out pops a saffron-colored face from the carriage window, and says, “You’re an impudent rascal for stopping my carriage, and I’ll not go to Doubledot’s if there’s another inn to be found within ten miles of it!”
Doub. There, that comes of your confounded meddling! If you had not interfered I should have stood an equal chance with the Green Dragon.
Pry. I’m very sorry; but I did it for the best.