W CHAPTER IV SMITHFIELD MARKET E MADE the ascent of Snow Hill," writes Thackeray in "The Newcomes." "We passed by the miry pens of Smithfield. We travel through the Street of St. John and presently reach the gateway in Cistercian Square where lies the old Hospital of Grey Friars." This is the route Pendennis's cab took from Lincoln's Inn Fields, Ethel and he sitting inside, on the way to see Thomas Newcome, and this, too, was my own route except that I occupied a modern up-to-date taxi, and Evins, my chauffeur, was at the wheel. The "miry pens," filled with the cattle of the period, are replaced now by high glass-covered sheds under which pass huge wagons drawn by great Normandy horses, loaded down with most of the chops, breakfast bacon, and roast beef of old England. It was raining, as usual, and Evins had backed my moving studio under the eaves of a protecting shed. The crowd was so dense, and the movement of wheel and hoof so constant, that I waited until the greater part of the early morning rush was over before commencing my sketch. "Do you know this part of London, Evins?" "Not much, sir. We don't get out here often. Round the Empire Theatre, or maybe out by St. Johns Wood late at night, or Paddington way, or Kensington, but this is new to me. I was never to Charter House until I took you there three days ago. I been a-reading up about it in a book one of my pals has at the garage." "One of Mr. Thackeray's?" "Yes, I think that was the writer's name - something about an officer called Newcome." "Do you get a chance to read much?" "No, sir- can't say I do barring the Mirror and sometimes the News. I been around though considerable." "No, I wish I had. I was in Cape Town for a bit." "What were you doing there? Driving?" "Not all the time, sir. I was laid up for a while - had a bad crack on my knee got a twist in it- not much of a knee now," and he tapped it with his closed hand, "especially in bad weather - been bothering me all the week." "What happened? Thrown off your box?" Thrown off "Not exactly, sir, but it felt like it when they picked me up. Then I got a clip on my ear- you can see it, sir, if you look little ragged yet." "In the hospital, were you?" "Yes, for six weeks or so." "What happened then?" "Oh, I had served my time and they sent me home." "The company you worked for?" |