a consenting party to that détour round the
crescent. Not that I ever saved anything by
it, for the driver always looked for the
twopence in addition to his fare, and always had it,
taking it in the light of a reward of merit; but
such is the rooted aversion of a free and independent
Briton, glorying in Magna Charta and popular
representation, to anything in the shape of a
tax for the support of those institutions in
which he takes so much pride, that he will
bestow his money upon the vilest of mankind
rather than pay it into the hands of a paternal
government, or any of its myrmidons. But on
this occasion, the free and independent Briton
was swayed by other feelings peculiar to his
great nature. He was not going to hit an
institution when it was down. So he went
through the gate, and paid his twopence like a
man.

The toll-keeper seemed to be also conscious
of the touching and pitiful nature of the occasion.
For the first time since I, the independent
Briton, had, to my cost, known him, he
spoke civilly, and, in giving me change out of
sixpence, actually said, " Thank you, sir." Not
to be outdone in this respect, I said, " You're
very welcome, I'm sure, for it is the last
twopence I shall pay you."

"Oh no, sir, I hope not," he replied.
"There's all day to-morrow for you; we don't
shut up for good, till twelve o'clock at night."

He seemed to say, " Don't despair; there is
yet time and opportunity left to do a virtuous
action." It was very kind of him. I was
inclined to believe that to oblige me he would
have been willing to continue the gate for a few
days longer. I did not, however, desire that he
should so far put himself out of the way on my
account. I merely expressed my intention of
paying a visit to the gate on the following day,
delicately hinting at hospitality on my part. I
was rejoiced to find that he would have no
objection; that, in fact, he would be very happy
to see me.

This was one of those happy hits which men
make at random on the spur of the moment,
and which are worth the best and most elaborate
efforts of thought and deliberation. If the
truth must be told, I had always regarded that
toll-gate keeper with awe, nay, with some feeling
of dread. Like many other persons in
authority, he seemed to be encased in an armour
of unapproachableness, hedged round by a
divinity that repelled all familiar advances.
With a strong disposition towards statistics and
useful knowledge, I had for some time desired
to make his acquaintance, and to learn from his
own lips something of the philosophy and
experience of toll-gate keeping. I was curious to
know whether the theory of a certain celebrated
person with regard to the misanthropical nature
of the pursuit was correct; or whether it was
merely a malicious libel on the part of one who
had been a victim to tolls. I was desirous to
know if the keeper of a toll-gate regarded all
mankind with the same aversion as all mankind
regarded him; and perhaps I was curious to
peep into the interior of that mysterious little
round-house, and see a toll-keeper in the privacy
of what might literally be called his domestic
circle. I had long desired to fathom these
things; but had never, with every elaboration
of design, made the great advance towards
them which I now achieved. Until this happy
moment, when a mutual sentiment brought us
together on a friendly footing, I had signally
failed in my endeavours to approach the keeper
of that toll-gate. I had often strolled down to
the gate with the intention of engaging him in
conversation, but my courage invariably failed
me. I was afraid that he might think me
impertinent. Again and again I walked round the
little house, in the hope that my timidity might
miss its footing and land me quite by accident
in the confidence of the solemn functionary of
whom all I knew was that his name was John
Brown. In vain. I never succeeded in getting
in his way, in running against him, in artfully
contriving that he should run against me, or in
any other way bringing myself under his notice.
It would have been absurd to ask him the right
time, for there was a big-faced clock in the front
of the gate proclaiming the hour to all the passing
world. I thought at one time, in the pride of
my knowledge of human nature, of approaching
Mr. Brown with a friendship's offering of a pot
of beer extended in my hand; but I was warned
against this course by the possibility (albeit I
considered it a very bare one) of his being a
teetotaller. I thought at another time, having
observed that Mr. Brown was addicted to the
weed, of smoothing my way with a bundle of
cigars: but was deterred by a fear lest my
motives might be misunderstood, and lest Mr.
Brown should suspect me to be a spy of the
Trust. I may say that I beat about Mr. Brown
very much, learning many things from the perusal
of the table of tolls concerning the charges for
horses and asses, drawing and not drawing, and
for waggons, vans, and carriages, the felloes of
whose wheels were of certain dimensions, &c.,
but of Mr. Brown himself, nothing.

When I walked down to the gate the following
afternoon, I became sensible that a great
sensation was prevailing in the neighbourhood.
A great sensation had been prevailing in that
neighbourhood for some considerable time; but
now it was spreading out far and wide, like a
rising flood, swamping the whole district in a
deluge of excitement. There was a manifest
tendency of the walking population " down the
road," and a marked disposition on the part of
the shop-keepers, to gather in knots on the
pavement, as if they expected fireworks or a comet.
There was much discussion, too, which became
more and more earnest as the gate was
approached. I have reason to know that as a
politician the High-street is thoroughly radical; that
it has a great idea of free trade, reduced
expenditure, and abolition of taxes; that it is
great, occasionally, at the Wilkes and Liberty
Hall in Lower Platform-street, on the rights
of man, and the wrongs inflicted on society
by a grasping hierarchy and a bloated