"The Diary of a Hackney Coachman" - читать интересную книгу автора (Ingraham Joseph Holt)

well shaped head thickly covered with brown-curly hair, and a healthy florid
countenance, expressive of intelligence and good humor. A kindly face such as at
first glance takes our confidence. He wore a red velvet waistcoat,
double-breasted and thickly set with small gilt bell-buttons, and in his sky
blue cravat was stuck a large paste pin. He took a silver watch from his fob to
look at the hour, and then fastening the check reins of his horses, he mounted
to his box, and drove up the street at a round pace evidently to fulfil some
appointment.
I was not a little gratified to find the nook had thus been taken possession of.
An empty space opposite the window of an invalid is always annoying. If he is at
all nervous, he peoples it with all sorts of things. It becomes a theatre in
which all the phantasies of his imagination play their parts. I had something
now to occupy my attention, besides blank walls. There was something to do in
watching the carriage and the man; in seeing him start off and watching for his
return; in conjecturing where and for what purpose he has been called away. In a
word the appearance of the smart hackney coach in my neighborhood drew off my
mind and thoughts from myself, and from the day of its appearance I began to
recover from a painful nervous disorder which had for several weeks afflicted
me.
The driver seemed to have a great deal of business. His coach was going and
coming constantly. This was owing to the neat appearance of his equipage and his
own neatness and affable mannerЧEvery morning at sunrise he would be at his
stand, and at sundown leave it for the last time, not to return till the next
morning.
I used to amuse myself in watching those who came to the stand to employ him.
Once I saw a young married couple stop and get into it, the lady in tears and
the young husband's face very grave and stern. They had evidently had a falling
out in the street and taken the coach in order to have their quarrel out less
publicly; for he drew up the glass with an emphasis and dropped the curtains.
The next that I saw call for it was a lady very elegantly dressed in half
mourning. She was hurried and in earnest as she spoke to the coachman.Ч She got
in hastily: he sprang to his box and drove rapidly off. The next moment a
gentleman with a crape round his hat and a parasol under his arm ran by and
pursued the carriage. One day the driver himself made a wearied old lady who was
passing and who seemed with difficulty to get along, get into his coach, when he
mounted to his seat and drove her home. This kind act made me the hackman's
friend at once, though I was already greatly prepossessed in his favor. I had
now got well enough to ride out, and one morning about three weeks after he had
come upon the `stand,' I sent over for him to see him in my room. He came up
stairs ushered by the servant and on entering my chamber took off his broad hat
and bowed with a good deal of grace.
`You wish to see me, sir?'
`Yes. I am an invalid, and wish to ride out every pleasant day for two or three
weeks. Can I command your carriage at the hour of ten every morning?'
`Yes sir,' he answered with a bow of satisfaction.
`I shall want to ride an hour each day!'
`Yes, sir.'
`Your carriage seems to be a very fine one!'
`It is liked by those who have rode in it!'
`Your horses are spirited and you appear to take very good care of them!'