are they to London? We have had wet weather lately, I think!"

"No, my lord. Here the weather has been dry as a bone."

"Or a cutlet!" muttered Mauleverer; and the host continued,--

"As for the roads themselves, my lord, so far as the roads are concerned,
they are pretty good, my lord; but I can't say as how there is not
something about them that might be mended."

"By no means improbable! You mean the inns and the turnpikes?" rejoined
Mauleverer.

"Your lordship is pleased to be facetious; no! I meant something worse
than them."

"What! the cooks?"

"No, my lord, the highwaymen!"

"The highwaymen! indeed?" said Mauleverer, anxiously; for he had with him
a case of diamonds, which at that time were on grand occasions often the
ornaments of a gentleman's dress, in the shape of buttons, buckles, etc.
He had also a tolerably large sum of ready money about him,--a blessing
he had lately begun to find very rare. "By the way, the rascals robbed
me before on this very road. My pistols shall be loaded this time. Mr.
Cheerly, you had better order the horses; one may as well escape the
nightfall."

"Certainly, my lord, certainly.--Jem, the horses immediately!--Your