I absolutely decline to encourage the practice of using good
horses in four-wheeled cabs. It's a disgrace to the poor animals. It
must be a very lame horse."
"Yes, sir."
And Mr. Ferdinand, standing upon the doorstep, whistled to the night.
Strange to say, in about two minutes there appeared round the corner
the very same cabman who had conveyed the Prophet and Lady Enid to the
astronomer's on the previous day, driving the very same horse.
"This horse will do admirably," said the Prophet to Mr. Ferdinand.
"He isn't lame, sir."
"P'r'aps not; but he knows how to tumble down. Sir Tiglath, here is a
cab for you. We shall go in the brougham. Zoological House, Regent's
Park, is the direction. Let me help you in, Madame."
As the Prophet got in to sit bodkin between his old and valued friends,
he whispered to the footman,--
"Tell Simkins to drive as fast as possible. We are very late."
The footman touched his hat. Just as the carriage moved off, the Prophet
protruded his head from the window, and saw the astronomer rolling into
the four-wheeler, the horse of which immediately fell down in a most
satisfactory manner.
There was no general conversation in the brougham, but the Prophet, who
was obliged to sit partly on Madame, and partly on Mr.
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