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Page 11:-
the Hesket-Newmarket Inn, in rare old Cumberland - it was
such a charmingly lazy pursuit to entertain these rambling
thoughts over the choice oatcake and genial whiskey, that
Mr. Idle and Mr. Goodchild never asked themselves how it
came to pass that the men in the fields were never heard of
more, how the stalwart landlord replaced them without
explanation, how his dog-cart came to be waiting at the
door, and how everything was arranged without the least
arrangement for climbing to old Carrock's shoulders, and
standing on his head.
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Without a word of inquiry, therefore, the Two Idle
Apprentices drifted out resignedly into a fine, soft, close,
drowsy, penetrating rain; got into the landlord's light
dog-cart, and rattled off through the village for the foot
of Carrock. The journey at the outset was not remarkable.
The Cumberland road went up and down like all other roads;
the Cumberland curs burst out from the backs of cottages and
barked like other curs, and the Cumberland peasantry stared
after the dog-cart amazedly, as long as it was in sight,
like the rest of their race. The approach to the foot of the
mountain resembled the approaches to the feet of most other
mountains all over the world. The cultivation gradually
ceased, the trees grew gradually rare, the road became
gradually rougher, and the sides of the mountain looked
gradually more and more lofty, and more and more difficult
to get up. The dog-cart was left at a lonely farm-house. The
landlord borrowed a large umbrella, and, assuming in an
instant the character of the most cheerful and adventurous
of guides, led the way to the ascent. Mr, Goodchild looked
eagerly at the top of the mountain, and, feeling apparently
that he was now going to be very lazy indeed, shone all over
wonderfully to the eye, under the influence of the
contentment within and the moisture without. Only in the
bosom of Mr. Thomas Idle did Despondency now hold her gloomy
state. He kept it a secret; but he would have given a very
handsome sum, when the ascent began, to have been back again
at the inn. The sides of Carrock looked fearfully steep, and
the top of Carrock was hidden in mist. The rain was falling
faster and faster. The knees of Mr. Idle - always weak on
walking excursions - shivered and shook with fear and damp.
The wet was already penetrating through the young man's
outer coat to a brand new shooting-jacket, for which he
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