Here Ephraim paused, and the captain with a happy and uncommon
impudence (which can be convicted and support itself at the same
time) cries, "Faith, friend, I thank thee; I should have been a
little impertinent if thou hadst not reprimanded me. Come, thou
art, I see, a smoky old fellow, and I'll be very orderly the
ensuing part of my journey. I was going to give myself airs,
but, ladies, I beg pardon."

The captain was so little out of humour, and our company was so
far from being soured by this little ruffle, that Ephraim and he
took a particular delight in being agreeable to each other for
the future; and assumed their different provinces in the conduct
of the company. Our reckonings, apartments, and accommodation,
fell under Ephraim; and the captain looked to all disputes upon
the road, as the good behaviour of our coachman, and the right we
had of taking place as going to London of all vehicles coming
from thence. The occurrences we met with were ordinary, and very
little happened which could entertain by the relation of them:
but when I consider'd the company we were in, I took it for no
small good-fortune that the whole journey was not spent in
impertinences, which to the one part of us might be an
entertainment, to the other a suffering. What therefore Ephraim
said when we were almost arriv'd at London had to me an air not
only of good understanding but good breeding. Upon the young
lady's expressing her satisfaction in the journey, and declaring
how delightful it had been to her, Ephraim delivered himself as
follows: "There is no ordinary part of human life which
expresseth so much a good mind, and a right inward man, as his
behaviour upon meeting with strangers, especially such as may