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1Half a minute conducted them through the pump-yard to the archway, opposite Union Passage; but here they were stopped.
2Everybody acquainted with Bath may remember the difficulties of crossing Cheap Street at this point; it is indeed a
3street of so impertinent a nature, so unfortunately connected with the great London and Oxford roads, and the principal
4inn of the city, that a day never passes in which parties of ladies, however important their business, whether in quest
5of pastry, millinery, or even (as in the present case) of young men, are not detained on one side or other by carriages,
6horsemen, or carts. This evil had been felt and lamented, at least three times a day, by Isabella since her residence in
7Bath; and she was now fated to feel and lament it once more, for at the very moment of coming opposite to Union Passage,
8and within view of the two gentlemen who were proceeding through the crowds, and threading the gutters of that
9interesting alley, they were prevented crossing by the approach of a gig, driven along on bad pavement by a most
10knowing-looking coachman with all the vehemence that could most fitly endanger the lives of himself, his companion, and
11his horse. "Oh, these odious gigs!" said Isabella, looking up. "How I detest them." But this detestation, though so
12just, was of short duration, for she looked again and exclaimed, "Delightful! mr. Morland and my brother!" "Good heaven!
13'Tis James!" was uttered at the same moment by Catherine; and, on catching the young men's eyes, the horse was
14immediately checked with a violence which almost threw him on his haunches, and the servant having now scampered up, the
15gentlemen jumped out, and the equipage was delivered to his care. Catherine, by whom this meeting was wholly unexpected,
16received her brother with the liveliest pleasure; and he, being of a very amiable disposition, and sincerely attached to
17her, gave every proof on his side of equal satisfaction, which he could have leisure to do, while the bright eyes of
18Miss Thorpe were incessantly challenging his notice; and to her his devoirs were speedily paid, with a mixture of joy
19and embarrassment which might have informed Catherine, had she been more expert in the development of other people's
20feelings, and less simply engrossed by her own, that her brother thought her friend quite as pretty as she could do
21herself. John Thorpe, who in the meantime had been giving orders about the horses, soon joined them, and from him she
22directly received the amends which were her due; for while he slightly and carelessly touched the hand of Isabella, on
23her he bestowed a whole scrape and half a short bow. He was a stout young man of middling height, who, with a plain face
24and ungraceful form, seemed fearful of being too handsome unless he wore the dress of a groom, and too much like a
25gentleman unless he were easy where he ought to be civil, and impudent where he might be allowed to be easy. He took out
26his watch: "How long do you think we have been running it from Tetbury, Miss Morland?" "I do not know the distance." Her
27brother told her that it was twenty-three miles. "Three-and-twenty!" cried Thorpe, "five-and-twenty if it is an inch."
28Morland remonstrated, pleaded the authority of road-books, innkeepers, and milestones; but his friend disregarded them
29all; he had a surer test of distance. "I know it must be five-and-twenty," said he, "by the time we have been doing it.
30It is now half after one; we drove out of the inn-yard at Tetbury as the town clock struck eleven; and I defy any man in
31England to make my horse go less than ten miles an hour in harness; that makes it exactly twenty-five." "You have lost
32an hour," said Morland; "it was only ten o'clock when we came from Tetbury." "Ten o'clock! it was eleven, upon my soul!
33i counted every stroke. This brother of yours would persuade me out of my senses, Miss Morland; do but look at my horse;
34did you ever see an animal so made for speed in your life?" (The servant had just mounted the carriage and was driving
35off.) "Such true blood! three hours and and a half indeed coming only three and twenty miles! look at that creature, and
36suppose it possible if you can." "He does look very hot, to be sure." "Hot! he had not turned a hair till we came to
37Walcot Church; but look at his forehand; look at his loins; only see how he moves; that horse cannot go less than ten
38miles an hour: tie his legs and he will get on. What do you think of my gig, Miss Morland? A neat one, is not it? Well
39hung; town-built; I have not had it a month. It was built for a Christchurch man, a friend of mine, a very good sort of
40fellow; he ran it a few weeks, till, I believe, it was convenient to have done with it. I happened just then to be
41looking out for some light thing of the kind, though I had pretty well determined on a curricle too; but I chanced to
42meet him on Magdalen Bridge, as he was driving into Oxford, last term: 'Ah! thorpe,' said he, 'do you happen to want
43such a little thing as this? It is a capital one of the kind, but I am cursed tired of it.' 'Oh! d--,' said I; 'I am
44your man; what do you ask?' And how much do you think he did, Miss Morland?" "I am sure I cannot guess at all."
45"Curricle-hung, you see; seat, trunk, sword-case, splashing-board, lamps, silver moulding, all you see complete; the
46iron-work as good as new, or better. He asked fifty guineas; I closed with him directly, threw down the money, and the
47carriage was mine." "And I am sure," said Catherine, "I know so little of such things that I cannot judge whether it was
48cheap or dear." "Neither one nor t'other; I might have got it for less, I dare say; but I hate haggling, and poor
49Freeman wanted cash." "That was very good-natured of you," said Catherine, quite pleased. "Oh! d---- it, when one has
50the means of doing a kind thing by a friend, I hate to be pitiful." An inquiry now took place into the intended
51movements of the young ladies; and, on finding whither they were going, it was decided that the gentlemen should
52accompany them to Edgar's Buildings, and pay their respects to Mrs. Thorpe. James and Isabella led the way; and so well
53satisfied was the latter with her lot, so contentedly was she endeavouring to ensure a pleasant walk to him who brought
54the double recommendation of being her brother's friend, and her friend's brother, so pure and uncoquettish were her
55feelings, that, though they overtook and passed the two offending young men in Milsom Street, she was so far from
56seeking to attract their notice, that she looked back at them only three times. John Thorpe kept of course with
57Catherine, and, after a few minutes' silence, renewed the conversation about his gig. "You will find, however, Miss
58Morland, it would be reckoned a cheap thing by some people, for I might have sold it for ten guineas more the next day;
59Jackson, of Oriel, bid me sixty at once; Morland was with me at the time." "Yes," said Morland, who overheard this; "but
60you forget that your horse was included." "My horse! oh, d---- it! i would not sell my horse for a hundred. Are you fond
61of an open carriage, Miss Morland?" "Yes, very; I have hardly ever an opportunity of being in one; but I am particularly
62fond of it." "I am glad of it; I will drive you out in mine every day." "Thank you," said Catherine, in some distress,
63from a doubt of the propriety of accepting such an offer. "I will drive you up Lansdown Hill to-morrow." "Thank you; but
64will not your horse want rest?" "Rest! he has only come three and twenty miles to-day; all nonsense; nothing ruins
65horses so much as rest; nothing knocks them up so soon. No, no; I shall exercise mine at the average of four hours every
66day while I am here." "Shall you indeed!" said Catherine very seriously. "That will be forty miles a day." "Forty! aye,
67fifty, for what I care. Well, I will drive you up Lansdown to-morrow; mind, I am engaged." "How delightful that will
68be!" cried Isabella, turning round. "My dearest Catherine, I quite envy you; but I am afraid, brother, you will not have
69room for a third." "A third indeed! no, no; I did not come to Bath to drive my sisters about; that would be a good joke,
70faith! morland must take care of you."
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