I Told Him He Was An
Impertinent Rascal, And As He Still Hesitated, I Collared Him
With One Hand, And Shook My Cane Over His Head With The Other.
It
was the only weapon I had, either offensive or defensive; for I
had left my sword, and musquetoon in the coach.
At length the
fellow obeyed, though with great reluctance, cracking many severe
jokes upon us in the mean time, and being joined in his raillery
by the inn-keeper, who had all the external marks of a ruffian.
The house stood in a solitary situation, and not a soul appeared
but these two miscreants, so that they might have murdered us
without fear of detection. "You do not like the apartments? (said
one) to be sure they were not fitted up for persons of your rank
and quality!" "You will be glad of a worse chamber, (continued
the other) before you get to bed." "If you walk to Florence
tonight, you will sleep so sound, that the fleas will not disturb
you." "Take care you do not take up your night's lodging in the
middle of the road, or in the ditch of the city-wall." I fired
inwardly at these sarcasms, to which, however, I made no reply;
and my wife was almost dead with fear. In the road from hence to
the boat, we met with an ill-looking fellow, who offered his
service to conduct us into the city, and such was our situation,
that I was fain to accept his proposal, especially as we had two
small boxes in the chaise by accident, containing some caps and
laces belonging to my wife, I still hoped the postilion had
exaggerated in the distance between the boat and the city gate,
and was confirmed in this opinion by the ferryman, who said we
had not above half a league to walk.
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