about one O’clock
The fellow , whether really alarmed for his life , or instigated by the desire of revenge , came in , and bluntly demanded , that the dog should be put to death ; on the supposition , that if ever he should run mad hereafter , he , who had been bit by him , would be infected -- My uncle calmly argued upon the absurdity of his opinion , observing , that he himself was in the same predicament , and would certainly take the precaution he proposed , if he was not sure he ran no risque of infection . Nevertheless , Thomas continued obstinate ; and , at length declared , that if the dog was not shot immediately , he himself would be his executioner -- This declaration opened the flood-gates of Tabby 's eloquence , which would have shamed the first-rate oratress of Billingsgate . The footman retorted in the same stile ; and the squire dismissed him from his service , after having prevented me from giving him a good horse-whipping for his insolence . The coach being adjusted , another difficulty occurred -- Mrs Tabitha absolutely refused to enter it again , unless another driver could be found to take the place of the postilion ; who , she affirmed , had overturned the carriage from malice aforethought -- After much dispute , the man resigned his place to a shabby country fellow , who undertook to go as far as Marlborough , where they could be better provided ; and at that place we arrived about one O'clock , without farther impediment . Mrs Bramble , however , found new matter of offence ; which , indeed , she has a particular genius for extracting at will from almost every incident in life . We had scarce entered the room at Marlborough , where we stayed to dine , when she exhibited a formal complaint against the poor fellow who had superseded the postilion . She said he was such a beggarly rascal that he had ne'er a shirt to his back , and had the impudence to shock her sight by shewing his bare posteriors , for which act of indelicacy he deserved to be set in the stocks .