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Burlesques by William Makepeace Thackeray
page 84 of 560 (15%)
the carriage with their long sticks and neat dark liveries; the
horses were worth a thousand guineas each, the coachman a late
lieutenant-colonel of cavalry: the whole ring could not boast a more
elegant turn-out.

The prince drove his curricle, and had charge of his belle cousine. It
may have been the red fezzes in the carriage of the Turkish ambassador
which frightened the prince's grays, or Mrs. Champignon's new yellow
liveries, which were flaunting in the Park, or hideous Lady Gorgon's
preternatural ugliness, who passed in a low pony-carriage at the time,
or the prince's own want of skill, finally; but certain it is that the
horses took fright, dashed wildly along the mile, scattered equipages,
pietons, dandies' cabs, and snobs' pheaytons. Amethyst was screaming;
and the prince, deadly pale, had lost all presence of mind, as the
curricle came rushing by the spot where Miss Amethyst's carriage stood.

"I'm blest," Frederick exclaimed to his companion, "if it ain't the
prince a-drivin our missis! They'll be in the Serpingtine, or dashed to
pieces, if they don't mind." And the runaway steeds at this instant came
upon them as a whirlwind.

But if those steeds ran at a whirlwind pace, Jeames was swifter. To jump
from behind, to bound after the rocking, reeling curricle, to jump into
it, aided by the long stick which he carried and used as a leaping-pole,
and to seize the reins out of the hands of the miserable Borodino, who
shrieked piteously as the dauntless valet leapt on his toes and into his
seat, was the work of an instant. In a few minutes the mad, swaying rush
of the horses was reduced to a swift but steady gallop; presently into a
canter, then a trot; until finally they pulled up smoking and trembling,
but quite quiet, by the side of Amethyst's carriage, which came up at a
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