第3章BOOKTHEFIRST：RECALLEDTOLIFE(3)

第3章bookthefirst：recalledtolife(3)

'so-ho！'theguardsangout，asloudashecouldroar.'yothere！stand！ishallfire！'

thepacewassuddenlychecked，and，withmuchsplashingandfloundering，aman'svoicecalledfromthemist，'isthatthedovermail？'

'neveryoumindwhatitis，'theguardretorted.'whatareyou？'

'isthatthedovermail？'

'whydoyouwanttoknow？'

'iwantapassenger，ifitis.'

'whatpassenger？'

'mr.jarvislorry.'

ourbookedpassengershowedinamomentthatitwashisname.theguard，thecoachman，andthetwootherpassengerseyedhimdistrustfully.

'keepwhereyouare，'theguardcalledtothevoiceinthemist，'because，ifishouldmakeamistake，itcouldneverbesetrightinyourlifetime.gentlemanofthenameoflorryanswerstraight.'

'whatisthematter？'askedthepassenger，then，withmildlyquaveringspeech.'whowantsme？isitjerry？'

（'idon'tlikejerry'svoice，ifitisjerry，'growledtheguardtohimself.'he'shoarserthansuitsme，isjerry.'）'yes，mr.lorry.'

'whatisthematter？'

'adespatchsentafteryoufromoveryonder.t.andco.'

'iknowthismessenger，guard，'saidmr.lorry，gettingdownintotheroad，assistedfrombehindmoreswiftlythanpolitelybytheothertwopassengers，whoimmediatelyscrambledintothecoach，shutthedoor，andpulledupthewindow.'hemaycomeclose；there'snothingwrong.'

'ihopethereain't，butcan'tmakeso'nationsureofthat，'saidtheguard，ingruffsoliloquy.'halloyou！'

'well！andhalloyou！'saidjerry，morehoarselythanbefore.

'comeonatafootpace！d'yemindme？andifyou'vegotholsterstothatsaddleo'yourn，don'tletmeseeyourhandsgonigh'em.fori'madevilataquickmistake，andwhenimakeoneittakestheformoflead.sonowlet'slookatyou.'

thefiguresofahorseandridercameslowlythroughtheeddyingmist，andcametothesideofthemail，wherethepassengerstood.theriderstopped，and，castinguphiseyesattheguard，handedthepassengerasmallfoldedpaper.therider'shorsewasblown，andbothhorseandriderwerecoveredwithmud，fromthehoofsofthehorsetothehatoftheman.

'guard！'saidthepassenger，inatoneofquietbusinessconfidence.

thewatchfulguard，withhisrighthandatthestockofhisraisedblunderbuss，hisleftatthebarrel，andhiseyeonthehorseman，answeredcurtly，'sir.'

'thereisnothingtoapprehend.ibelongtotellson'sbank.youmustknowtellson'sbankinlondon.iamgoingtoparisonbusiness.acrowntodrink.imayreadthis？'

'ifsobeasyou'requick，sir.'

heopeneditinthelightofthecoach-lamponthatside，andread—firsttohimselfandthenaloud：''waitatdoverformam'selle.'it'snotlong，yousee，guard.jerry，saythatmyanswerwas，recalledtolife.'

jerrystartedinhissaddle.'that'sablazingstrangeanswer，too，'saidhe，athishoarsest.

'takethatmessageback，andtheywillknowthatireceivedthis，aswellasifiwrote.makethebestofyourway.goodnight.'

withthosewordsthepassengeropenedthecoach-doorandgotin；notatallassistedbyhisfellow-passengers，whohadexpeditiouslysecretedtheirwatchesandpursesintheirboots，andwerenowmakingageneralpretenceofbeingasleep.withnomoredefinitepurposethantoescapethehazardoforiginatinganyotherkindofaction.

thecoachlumberedonagain，withheavierwreathsofmistclosingrounditasitbeganthedescent.theguardsoonreplacedhisblunderbussinhisarm-chest，and，havinglookedtotherestofitscontents，andhavinglookedtothesupplementarypistolsthatheworeinhisbelt，lookedtoasmallerchestbeneathhisseat，inwhichtherewereafewsmith'stools，acoupleoftorches，andatinderbox.forhewasfurnishedwiththatcompletenessthatifthecoach-lampshadbeenblownandstormedout，whichdidoccasionallyhappen，hehadonlytoshuthimselfupinside，keeptheflintandsteelsparkswelloffthestraw，andgetalightwithtolerablesafetyandease（ifhewerelucky）infiveminutes.

'tom！'softlyoverthecoach-roof.

'hallo，joe.'

'didyouhearthemessage？'

'idid，joe.'

'whatdidyoumakeofit，tom？'

'nothingatall，joe.'

'that'sacoincidence，too，'theguardmused，'forimadethesameofitmyself.'

jerry，leftaloneinthemistanddarkness，dismountedmeanwhile，notonlytoeasehisspenthorse，buttowipethemudfromhisface，andshakethewetoutofhishat-brim，whichmightbecapableofholdingabouthalfagallon.afterstandingwiththebridleoverhisheavily-splashedarm，untilthewheelsofthemailwerenolongerwithinhearingandthenightwasquitestillagain，heturnedtowalkdownthehill.

'afterthattheregallopfromtemplebar，oldlady，iwon'ttrustyourforelegstilligetyouonthelevel，'saidthishoarsemessenger，glancingathismare.''recalledtolife.'that'sablazingstrangemessage.muchofthatwouldn'tdoforyou，jerry！isay，jerry！you'dbeinablazingbadway，ifrecallingtolifewastocomeintofashion，jerry！'