The road, indeed, would
seem to have been set out with a view of getting as many hills and as
little level ground over which a traveller could make play as possible; and
where it did not lead over the tops of the highest hills, it wound round
their bases, in such little, vexatious, up-and-down, wavy dips as
completely to do away with all chance of expedition. The route was not
along one continuous trust, but here over a bit of turnpike and there over
a bit of turnpike, with ever and anon long interregnums of township roads,
repaired in the usual primitive style with mud and soft field-stones, that
turned up like flitches of bacon. A man would travel from London to Exeter
by rail in as short a time, and with far greater ease, than he would drive
from Lord Scamperdale's to Jawleyford Court. His lordship being aware of
this fact, and thinking, moreover, it was no use trashing a good horse over
such roads, had desired Frostyface to put an old spavined grey mare, that
he had bought for the kennel, into the dog-cart, and out of which, his
lordship thought, if he could get a day's work or two, she would come all
the cheaper to the boiler.
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