Laughter within the coach; odd; laughter.
        Clutching her cloak about her tightly Elaine retreated within by Haggerty and tossed the case to the seat across ignoring Haggerty's feeble hand after and Haggerty forgot it, too. It was never really serious, but the drive home was in night, in cold silence after sleet now the moon burned in hard veins of ice-skinned trees and no driver to be found, no driver for the last coach, "Until this frightful harridan appeared, Haggerty, like a goblin, like a witch, out of the box, as if she'd grown there, but witches don't grow, Haggerty, they're made," Elaine laughed. She felt sure and certain, proud and potent, waxing, gibbous, like a bowsprit sure and certain to wend the night, fend, and deliver Haggerty unscathed in hopes unwrinkled to her doorstep.
  laughed. "You must see her, Haggerty, when you descend, just a quick glance up will show you such a face and such a form never seen by you before even you, Haggerty, bold, unsquinting physician of the saurian eye, you have never ever seen a driver such as we have pulled tonight. Aged crone, wrapped in sacking sodden, bony, all of knuckes, nose, and earlobes, toothless maybe, hair like string, but nimble, nimble with the reins."
        "What night is this," Haggerty drily mused, "when banshees manage coaches and the moon makes rock candy?"
        Elaine laughed tossing back her head and hugged Haggerty tightly under 1 arm.
 

        Reins running lightly in nimble hands Esme(e) above, before, forced the hooves to beat with her heart and saved them on the stones and saved the tree from gash saved from gore, saved them all that night.