I will here set down, that I may not return again to so disagreable a subject,
I had on a visit intended to Harriet, who had lodgings at Hampton-Court, hired a chariot to go out thither, Mrs. Cole having promis'd to accompany me: but some indispensible business intervening to detain her, I was obliged to set out alone; and scarce had I got a third of my way, before the axle-tree broke down, and I was well off, to get out safe and unhurt, into a publick-house of a tolerably handsome appearance, on the road. Here the people told me that the stage would come by in a couple of hours at farthest, upon which, determining to wait for it, sooner than loose the jaunt I had got so far forward on, I was carried into a very clean decent room up one pair of stairs, which I took possession of for the time I had to stay, in right of calling for sufficient to do the house justice.
Here, whilst I was amuſing myself with looking out of the window, a single horse-chaise stopt at the door, out of
