\"ThesedeservedpunishmentsdidnotatallalterCaptainMacshane’sdisposition;andonthe17thofFebruarylast,hestoppedtheBavarianEnvoy’scoachonBlackheath,comingfromDover,androbbedhisExcellencyandhischaplain;takingfromtheformerhismoney,watches,star,afur—cloak,hissword(averyvaluableone);andfromthelatteraRomishmissal,outofwhichhewasthenreading,andacase—bottle。\"
\"TheBavarianEnvoy!\"saidTomparenthetically。\"Mymaster,Beinkleider,washisLordship’sregimentaltailorinGermany,andisnowmakingaCourtsuitforhim。Itwillbeamatterofahundredpoundstohim,Iwarrant。\"
DoctorWoodresumedhisreading。\"Hum——hum!ARomishmissal,outofwhichhewasreading,andacase—bottle。
\"BymeansofthefamousMr。Wild,thisnotoriouscriminalwasbroughttojustice,andthecase—bottleandmissalhavebeenrestoredtoFatherO’Flaherty。
\"DuringhisconfinementinNewgate,Mr。Macshanecouldnotbebroughttoexpressanycontritionforhiscrimes,exceptthatofhavingkilledhiscommandingofficer。ForthisWoodhepretendedanexcessivesorrow,andvowedthatusquebaughhadbeenthecauseofhisdeath,——indeed,inprisonhepartookofnootherliquor,anddrunkabottleofitonthedaybeforehisdeath。
\"Hewasvisitedbyseveraloftheclergyandgentryinhiscell;
amongothers,bythePopishpriestwhomhehadrobbed,FatherO’FIaherty,beforementioned,whoattendedhimlikewiseinhislastmoments(ifthatidolatrousworshipmaybecalledattention),andlikewisebytheFather’spatron,theBavarianAmbassador,hisExcellencyCountMaximiliandeGalgenstein。\"
AsoldWoodcametothesewords,hepausedtogivethemutterance。
\"What!Max?\"screamedMrs。Hayes,lettingherink—bottlefalloverherledgers。
\"Why,behangedifitben’tmyfather!\"saidMr。Billings。
\"Yourfather,sureenough,unlesstherebeothersofhisname,andunlessthescoundrelishanged,\"saidtheDoctor——sinkinghisvoice,however,attheendofthesentence。
Mr。Billingsbrokehispipeinanagonyofjoy。\"Ithinkwe’llhavethecoachnow,Mother,\"sayshe;\"andI’mblessedifPollyBriggsshallnotlookasfineasaduchess。\"
\"PollyBriggsisalowslut,Tom,andnotfitforthelikesofyou,hisExcellency’sson。Oh,fie!Youmustbeagentlemannow,sirrah;andIdoubtwhetherIshan’ttakeyouawayfromthatodioustailor’sshopaltogether。\"
TothispropositionMr。Billingsobjectedaltogether;for,besidesMrs。Briggsbeforealludedto,theyounggentlemanwasmuchattachedtohismaster’sdaughter,Mrs。MargaretGretel,orGretchenBeinkleider。
\"No,\"sayshe。\"Therewillbetimetothinkofthathereafter,ma’am。Ifmypamakesamanofme,why,ofcourse,theshopmaygotothedeuce,forwhatIcare;butwehadbetterwait,lookyou,forsomethingcertainbeforewegiveupsuchaprettybirdinthehandasthis。\"
\"HespeakslikeSolomon,\"saidtheDoctor。
\"Ialwayssaidhewouldbeacredittohisoldmother,didn’tI,Brock?\"criedMrs。Cat,embracinghersonveryaffectionately。\"A
credittoher;ay,Iwarrant,arealblessing!Anddostthouwantanymoney,Tom?foralord’ssonmustnotgoaboutwithoutafewpiecesinhispocket。AndItellthee,Tommy,thoumustgoandseehisLordship;andthoushalthaveapieceofbrocadeforawaistcoat,thoushalt;ay,andthesilver—hiltedswordItoldtheeof;butoh,Tommy,Tommy!haveacare,anddon’tbea—drawingofitinnaughtycompanyatthegaming—houses,oratthe——\"
\"Adrawingoffiddlesticks,Mother!IfIgotoseemyfather,I
musthaveareasonforit;andinsteadofgoingwithaswordinmyhand,Ishalltakesomethingelseinit。\"
\"TheladISaladofnous,\"criedDoctorWood,\"althoughhismotherdoesspoilhimsocruelly。Lookyou,MadamCat:didyounothearwhathesaidaboutBeinkleiderandtheclothes?TommywilljustwaitontheCountwithhisLordship’sbreeches。Amanmaylearnadealofnewsinthetryingonofapairofbreeches。\"
Andsoitwasagreedthatinthismannerthesonshouldatfirstmakehisappearancebeforehisfather。Mrs。Catgavehimthepieceofbrocade,which,inthecourseoftheday,wasfashionedintoasmartwaistcoat(forBeinkleider’sshopwascloseby,inCavendishSquare)。Mrs。Gretel,withmanyblushes,tiedafineblueribandroundhisneck;and,inapairofsilkstockings,withgoldbucklestohisshoes,MasterBillingslookedaveryproperyounggentleman。
\"And,Tommy,\"saidhismother,blushingandhesitating,\"shouldMax——shouldhisLordshipaskafteryour——wanttoknowifyourmotherisalive,youcansaysheis,andwell,andoftentalksofoldtimes。And,Tommy\"(afteranotherpause),\"youneedn’tsayanythingaboutMr。Hayes;onlysayI’mquitewell。\"
Mrs。Hayeslookedathimashemarcheddownthestreet,alonglongway。Tomwasproudandgayinhisnewcostume,andwasnotunlikehisfather。Asshelooked,lo!OxfordStreetdisappeared,andshesawagreencommon,andavillage,andalittleinn。Therewasasoldierleadingapairofhorsesaboutonthegreencommon;andintheinnsatacavalier,soyoung,somerry,sobeautiful!Oh,whatslimwhitehandshehad;andwinningwords,andtender,gentleblueeyes!Wasitnotanhonourtoacountrylassthatsuchanoblegentlemanshouldlookatherforamoment?Hadhenotsomecharmabouthimthatshemustneedsobeywhenhewhisperedinherear,\"Come,followme!\"Asshewalkedtowardsthelanethatmorning,howwellsherememberedeachspotasshepassedit,andthelookitworeforthelasttime!Howthesmokewasrisingfromthepastures,howthefishwerejumpingandplashinginthemill—stream!Therewasthechurch,withallitswindowslightedupwithgold,andyonderwerethereaperssweepingdownthebrowncorn。Shetriedtosingasshewentupthehill——whatwasit?Shecouldnotremember;butoh,howwellsherememberedthesoundofthehorse’shoofs,astheycamequicker,quicker——nearer,nearer!Hownoblehelookedonhisgreathorse!Washethinkingofher,orweretheyallsillywordswhichhespokelastnight,merelytopassawaythetimeanddeceivepoorgirlswith?Wouldherememberthem,——wouldhe?
\"Catmydear,\"herecriedMr。Brock,aliasCaptain,aliasDoctorWood,\"here’sthemeata—gettingcold,andIamlongingformybreakfast。\"
Astheywentinhelookedherhardintheface。\"What,stillatit,yousillygirl?I’vebeenwatchingyouthesefiveminutes,Cat;andbehangedbutIthinkawordfromGalgenstein,andyouwouldfollowhimasaflydoesatreacle—pot!\"
Theywentintobreakfast;butthoughtherewasahotshoulderofmuttonandonion—sauce——Mrs。Catherine’sfavouritedish——shenevertouchedamorselofit。
InthemeanwhileMr。ThomasBillings,inhisnewclotheswhichhismammahadgivenhim,inhisnewribandwhichthefairMissBeinkleiderhadtiedroundhisneck,andhavinghisExcellency’sbreecheswrappedinasilkhandkerchiefinhisrighthand,turneddowninthedirectionofWhitehall,wheretheBavarianEnvoylodged。
But,beforehewaitedonhim,Mr。Billings,beingexcessivelypleasedwithhispersonalappearance,madeanearlyvisittoMrs。
Briggs,wholivedintheneighbourhoodofSwallowStreet;andwho,afterexpressingherselfwithmuchenthusiasmregardingherTommy’sgoodlooks,immediatelyaskedhimwhathewouldstandtodrink?
Raspberryginbeingsuggested,apintofthatliquorwassentfor;
andsogreatwastheconfidenceandintimacysubsistingbetweenthesetwoyoungpeople,thatthereaderwillbegladtohearthatMrs。PollyacceptedeveryshillingofthemoneywhichTomBillingshadreceivedfromhismammathedaybefore;nay,couldwithdifficultybepreventedfromseizinguponthecut—velvetbreecheswhichhewascarryingtothenoblemanforwhomtheyweremade。
HavingpaidhisadieuxtoMrs。Polly,Mr。Billingsdepartedtovisithisfather。
CHAPTERIX。INTERVIEWBETWEENCOUNTGALGENSTEINANDMASTERTHOMAS
BILLINGS,WHENHEINFORMSTHECOUNTOFHISPARENTAGE。
Idon’tknowinallthismiserableworldamoremiserablespectaclethanthatofayoungfellowoffiveorsixandforty。TheBritisharmy,thatnurseryofvalour,turnsoutmanyoftheyoungfellowsI
mean:who,havingflauntedindragoonuniformsfromseventeentosix—and—thirty;havingbought,sold,orswappedduringthatperiodsometwohundredhorses;havingplayed,say,fifteenthousandgamesatbilliards;havingdrunksomesixthousandbottlesofwine;havingconsumedareasonablenumberofNugeecoats,splitmanydozenpairsofhigh—heeledHobyboots,andreadthenewspaperandthearmy—listduly,retirefromtheservicewhentheyhaveattainedtheireighthlustre,andsaunterthroughtheworld,trailingfromLondontoCheltenham,andfromBoulognetoParis,andfromParistoBaden,theiridleness,theirill—health,andtheirennui。\"Inthemorningofyouth,\"andwhenseenalongwithwholetroopsoftheircompanions,theseflowerslookgaudyandbrilliantenough;butthereisnoobjectmoredismalthanoneofthemalone,andinitsautumnal,orseedystate。Myfriend,CaptainPopjoy,isonewhohasarrivedatthiscondition,andwhomeverybodyknowsbyhistitleofFatherPop。Akinder,simpler,moreempty—headedfellowdoesnotexist。Heisforty—sevenyearsold,andappearsayoung,good—lookingmanofsixty。AtthetimeoftheArmyofOccupationhereallywasasgood—lookingamanasanyintheDragoons。Henowusesallsortsofstratagemstocoverthebaldplaceonhishead,bycombingcertainthingreysidelocksoverit。Hehas,inrevenge,apairofenormousmoustaches,whichhedyesoftherichestblue—black。Hisnoseisagooddeallargerandredderthanitusedtobe;hiseyelidshavegrownflatandheavy;andalittlepairofred,wateryeyeballsfloatinthemidstofthem:itseemsasifthelightwhichwasonceinthosesicklygreenpupilshadextravasatedintothewhitepartoftheeye。IfPop’slegsarenotsofirmandmuscularastheyusedtobeinthosedayswhenhetooksuchleapsintoWhite’sbuckskins,inrevengehiswaistismuchlarger。Hewearsaverygoodcoat,however,andawaistband,whichheletsoutafterdinner。Beforeladiesheblushes,andisassilentasaschoolboy。Hecallsthem\"modestwomen。\"Hissocietyischieflyamongyoungladsbelongingtohisformerprofession。Heknowsthebestwinetobehadateachtavernorcafe,andthewaiterstreathimwithmuchrespectfulfamiliarity。Heknowsthenamesofeveryoneofthem;andshoutsout,\"SendMarkwellhere!\"or,\"TellCuttrisstogiveusabottleoftheyellowseal!\"or,\"Dizzyvoo,MonsureBorrel,noodonnyshampangfrappy,\"etc。Healwaysmakesthesaladorthepunch,anddinesoutthreehundreddaysintheyear:theotherdaysyouseehiminatwo—franceating—houseatParis,orprowlingaboutRupertStreet,orSt。Martin’sCourt,whereyougetacapitalcutofmeatforeightpence。Hehasdecentlodgingsandscrupulouslycleanlinen;hisanimalfunctionsarestilltolerablywellpreserved,hisspiritualhaveevaporatedlongsince;hesleepswell,hasnoconscience,believeshimselftobearespectablefellow,andistolerablyhappyonthedayswhenheisaskedouttodinner。
PoorPopisnotveryhighinthescaleofcreatedbeings;but,ifyoufancythereisnonelower,youareinegregiouserror。Therewasonceamanwhohadamysteriousexhibitionofananimal,quiteunknowntonaturalists,called\"thewusser。\"Thosecuriousindividualswhodesiredtoseethewusserwereintroducedintoanapartmentwhereappearedbeforethemnothingmorethanalittleleanshrivelledhideousblear—eyedmangypig。Everyonecriedout\"Swindle!\"and\"Shame!\"\"Patience,gentlemen,beheasy,\"saidtheshowman:\"lookatthattherehanimal;it’saperfectphenomalyofhugliness:Iengageyouneverseesuchapig。\"Nobodyeverhadseen。\"Now,gentlemen,\"saidhe,\"I’llkeepmypromise,hasperbill;andbadasthattherepigis,lookatthishere\"(heshowedanother)。\"Lookatthishere,andyou’llseeatoncethatit’sA
WUSSER。\"InlikemannerthePopjoybreedisbadenough,butitservesonlytoshowofftheGalgensteinrace;whichisWUSSER。
Galgensteinhadledaverygaylife,asthesayingis,forthelastfifteenyears;suchagayone,thathehadlostallcapacityofenjoymentbythistime,andonlypossessedinclinationswithoutpowersofgratifyingthem。Hehadgrowntobeexquisitelycuriousandfastidiousaboutmeatanddrink,forinstance,andallthathewantedwasanappetite。HecarriedaboutwithhimaFrenchcook,whocouldnotmakehimeat;adoctor,whocouldnotmakehimwell;amistress,ofwhomhewasheartilysickaftertwodays;apriest,whohadbeenafavouriteoftheexemplaryDubois,andbyturnsusedtoticklehimbytheimpositionofpenance,orbytherepetitionofatalefromtherecueilofNoce,orLaFare。Allhisappetiteswerewastedandworn;onlysomemonstrositywouldgalvanisethemintomomentaryaction。Hewasinthateffetestatetowhichmanynoblemenofhistimehadarrived;whowerereadytobelieveinghost—raisingoringold—making,ortoretireintomonasteriesandwearhair—shirts,ortodabbleinconspiracies,ortodieinlovewithlittlecook—maidsoffifteen,ortopineforthesmilesoratthefrownsofaprinceoftheblood,ortogomadattherefusalofachamberlain’skey。ThelastgratificationherememberedtohaveenjoyedwasthatofridingbareheadedinasoakingrainforthreehoursbythesideofhisGrandDuke’smistress’scoach;takingthepasofCountKrahwinkel,whochallengedhim,andwasrunthroughthebodyforthisverydispute。Galgensteingainedarheumaticgoutbyit,whichputhimtotorturesformanymonths;andwasfurthergratifiedwiththepostofEnglishEnvoy。Hehadafortune,heaskednosalary,andcouldlooktheenvoyverywell。FatherO’Flahertydidalltheduties,andfurthermoreactedasaspyovertheambassador——asinecurepost,forthemanhadnofeelings,wishes,oropinions——absolutelynone。
\"Uponmylife,father,\"saidthisworthyman,\"Icarefornothing。
YouhavebeentalkingforanhourabouttheRegent’sdeath,andtheDuchessofPhalaris,andslyoldFleury,andwhatnot;andIcarejustasmuchasifyoutoldmethatoneofmybauersatGalgensteinhadkilledapig;orasifmylacquey,LaRoseyonder,hadmadelovetomymistress。\"
\"Hedoes!\"saidthereverendgentleman。
\"Ah,Monsieurl’Abbe!\"saidLaRose,whowasarranginghismaster’senormousCourtperiwig,\"youare,helas!wrong。MonsieurleComtewillnotbeangryatmysayingthatIwishtheaccusationweretrue。\"
TheCountdidnottaketheslightestnoticeofLaRose’swit,butcontinuedhisowncomplaints。
\"Itellyou,Abbe,Icarefornothing。Ilostathousandguineast’othernightatbasset;IwishtomyheartIcouldhavebeenvexedaboutit。Egad!Irememberthedaywhentoloseahundredmademehalfmadforamonth。Well,nextdayIhadmyrevengeatdice,andthrewthirteenmains。Therewassomedelay;acallforfreshbones,Ithink;andwouldyoubelieveit?——Ifellasleepwiththeboxinmyhand!\"
\"Adesperatecase,indeed,\"saidtheAbbe。
\"IfithadnotbeenforKrahwinkel,Ishouldhavebeenadeadman,that’spositive。Thatpinkinghimsavedme。\"
\"Imakenodoubtofit,\"saidtheAbbe。\"HadyourExcellencynotrunhimthrough,he,withoutadoubt,wouldhavedonethesameforyou。\"
\"Psha!youmistakemywords,Monsieurl’Abbe\"(yawning)。\"I
mean——whatcursedchocolate!——thatIwasdyingforwantofexcitement。NotthatIcaredfordying;no,d————meifIdo!\"
\"WHENyoudo,yourExcellencymeans,\"saidtheAbbe,afatgrey—hairedIrishman,fromtheIrlandoisCollegeatParis。
HisExcellencydidnotlaugh,norunderstandjokesofanykind;hewasofanundeviatingstupidity,andonlyreplied,\"Sir,ImeanwhatIsay。Idon’tcareforliving:no,norfordyingeither;butI
canspeakaswellasanother,andI’llthankyounottobecorrectingmyphrasesasifIwereoneofyourcursedschoolboys,andnotagentlemanoffortuneandblood。\"
HerewiththeCount,whohadutteredfoursentencesabouthimself(heneverspokeofanythingelse),sunkbackonhispillowsagain,quiteexhaustedbyhiseloquence。TheAbbe,whohadaseatandatablebythebedside,resumedthelabourswhichhadbroughthimintotheroominthemorning,andbusiedhimselfwithpapers,whichoccasionallyhehandedovertohissuperiorforapproval。
PresentlyMonsieurlaRoseappeared。
\"HereisapersonwithclothesfromMr。Beinkleider’s。WillyourExcellencyseehim,orshallIbidhimleavetheclothes?\"
TheCountwasverymuchfatiguedbythistime;hehadsignedthreepapers,andreadthefirsthalf—a—dozenlinesofapairofthem。
\"Bidthefellowcomein,LaRose;and,harkye,givememywig:onemustshowone’sselftobeagentlemanbeforethesescoundrels。\"
Andhethereforemountedalargechestnut—coloured,orange—scentedpyramidofhorsehair,whichwastoawethenew—comer。
Hewasaladofaboutseventeen,inasmartwaistcoatandablueriband:ourfriendTomBillings,indeed。HecarriedunderhisarmtheCount’sdestinedbreeches。Hedidnotseemintheleastawed,however,byhisExcellency’sappearance,butlookedathimwithagreatdegreeofcuriosityandboldness。Inthesamemannerhesurveyedthechaplain,andthennoddedtohimwithakindlookofrecognition。
\"WherehaveIseenthelad?\"saidthefather。\"Oh,Ihaveit!Mygoodfriend,youwereatthehangingyesterday,Ithink?\"
Mr。Billingsgaveaverysignificantnodwithhishead。\"Inevermiss,\"saidhe。
\"WhatayoungTurk!Andpray,sir,doyougoforpleasure,orforbusiness?\"
\"Business!whatdoyoumeanbybusiness?\"
\"Oh,Ididnotknowwhetheryoumightbebroughtuptothetrade,oryourrelationsbeundergoingtheoperation。\"
\"Myrelations,\"saidMr。Billings,proudly,andstaringtheCountfullintheface,\"wasnotmadefornosuchthing。I’matailornow,butI’magentleman’sson:asgoodaman,ay,ashislordshipthere:forYOUa’n’thislordship——you’rethePopishpriestyouare;andwewereveryneargivingyouatouchofafewProtestantstones,master。\"
TheCountbegantobealittleamused:hewaspleasedtoseetheAbbelookalarmed,orevenfoolish。
\"Egad,Abbe,\"saidhe,\"youturnaswhiteasasheet。\"
\"Idon’tfancybeingmurdered,myLord,\"saidtheAbbe,hastily;
\"andmurderedforagoodwork。ItwasbuttobeusefultoyonderpoorIrishman,whosavedmeasaprisonerinFlanders,whenMarlboroughwouldhavehungmeuplikepoorMacshanehimselfwasyesterday。\"
\"Ah!\"saidtheCount,burstingoutwithsomeenergy,\"Iwasthinkingwhothefellowcouldbe,eversinceherobbedmeontheHeath。I
recollectthescoundrelnow:hewasasecondinaduelIhadhereintheyearsix。\"
\"AlongwithMajorWood,behindMontagueHouse,\"saidMr。Billings。
\"I’VEheardonit。\"Andherehelookedmoreknowingthanever。
\"YOU!\"criedtheCount,moreandmoresurprised。\"AndpraywhothedevilAREyou?\"
\"Myname’sBillings。\"
\"Billings?\"saidtheCount。
\"IcomeoutofWarwickshire,\"saidMr。Billings。
\"Indeed!\"
\"IwasbornatBirminghamtown。\"
\"Wereyou,really!\"
\"Mymother’snamewasHayes,\"continuedBillings,inasolemnvoice。
\"IwasputouttoanursealongwithJohnBillings,ablacksmith;
andmyfatherrunaway。NOWdoyouknowwhoIam?\"
\"Why,uponhonour,now,\"saidtheCount,whowasamused,——\"uponhonour,Mr。Billings,Ihavenotthatadvantage。\"
\"Well,then,myLord,YOU’REMYFATHER!\"
Mr。BillingswhenhesaidthiscameforwardtotheCountwithatheatricalair;and,flingingdownthebreechesofwhichhewasthebearer,heldouthisarmsandstared,havingverylittledoubtbutthathisLordshipwouldforthwithspringoutofbedandhughimtohisheart。Asimilarpieceofnaivetemanyfathersoffamilieshave,Ihavenodoubt,remarkedintheirchildren;who,notcaringfortheirparentsasingledoit,conceive,nevertheless,thatthelatterareboundtoshowallsortsofaffectionforthem。Hislordshipdidmove,butbackwardstowardsthewall,andbeganpullingatthebell—ropewithanexpressionofthemostintensealarm。
\"Keepback,sirrah!——keepback!SupposeIAMyourfather,doyouwanttomurderme?Goodheavens!howtheboysmellsofginandtobacco!Don’tturnaway,mylad;sitdownthereataproperdistance。And,LaRose,givehimsomeeau—de—Cologne,andgetacupofcoffee。Well,now,goonwithyourstory。Egad,mydearAbbe,I
thinkitisverylikelythatwhattheladsaysistrue。\"
\"Ifitisafamilyconversation,\"saidtheAbbe,\"Ihadbetterleaveyou。\"
\"Oh,forHeaven’ssake,no!Icouldnotstandtheboyalone。Now,Misterah!——What’s—your—name?Havethegoodnesstotellyourstory。\"
Mr。Billingswaswoefullydisconcerted;forhismotherandhehadagreedthatassoonashisfathersawhimhewouldberecognisedatonce,and,mayhap,madeheirtotheestatesandtitle;inwhichbeingdisappointed,heverysulkilywentonwithhisnarrative,anddetailedmanyofthoseeventswithwhichthereaderhasalreadybeenmadeacquainted。TheCountaskedtheboy’smother’sChristianname,andbeingtoldit,hismemoryatoncereturnedtohim。
\"What!areyoulittleCat’sson?\"saidhisExcellency。\"Byheavens,moncherAbbe,acharmingcreature,butatigress——positivelyatigress。Irecollectthewholeaffairnow。She’salittlefreshblack—hairedwoman,a’n’tshe?withasharpnoseandthickeyebrows,ay?Ahyes,yes!\"wentonmyLord,\"Irecollecther,Irecollecther。ItwasatBirminghamIfirstmether:shewasmyLadyTrippet’swoman,wasn’tshe?\"
\"Shewasnosuchthing,\"saidMr。Billings,hotly。\"Herauntkeptthe’BugleInn’onWalthamGreen,andyourLordshipseducedher。\"
\"Seducedher!Oh,’gad,soIdid。Stapme,now,Idid。Yes,I
madeherjumponmyblackhorse,andboreherofflike——likeAeneasborehiswifeawayfromthesiegeofRome!hey,l’Abbe?\"
\"Theeventswerepreciselysimilar,\"saidtheAbbe。\"Itiswonderfulwhatamemoryyouhave!\"
\"Iwasalwaysremarkableforit,\"continuedhisExcellency。\"Well,wherewasI,——attheblackhorse?Yes,attheblackhorse。Well,I
mountedherontheblackhorse,androdeherencroupe,egad——ha,ha!——toBirmingham;andtherewebilledandcooedtogetherlikeapairofturtle—doves:yes——ha!——thatwedid!\"
\"Andthis,Isuppose,istheendofsomeoftheBILLINGS?\"saidtheAbbe,pointingtoMr。Tom。
\"Billings!whatdoyoumean?Yes——oh——ah——apun,acalembourg。Fidonc,M。l’Abbe。\"Andthen,afterthewontofverystupidpeople,M。deGalgensteinwentontoexplaintotheAbbehisownpun。
\"Well,buttoproceed,\"crieshe。\"WelivedtogetheratBirmingham,andIwasgoingtobemarriedtoarichheiress,egad!whenwhatdoyouthinkthislittleCatdoes?Shemurdersme,egad!andmakesmemanquerthemarriage。Twentythousand,Ithinkitwas;andIwantedthemoneyinthosedays。Now,wasn’tsheanabominablemonster,thatmotherofyours,hey,Mr。a——What’s—your—name?\"
\"Sheservedyouright!\"saidMr。Billings,withagreatoath,startingupoutofallpatience。
\"Fellow!\"saidhisExcellency,quiteaghast,\"doyouknowtowhomyouspeak?——toanoblemanofseventy—eightdescents;acountoftheHolyRomanEmpire;arepresentativeofasovereign?Ha,egad!
Don’tstamp,fellow,ifyouhopeformyprotection。\"
\"D——nyourprotection!\"saidMr。Billings,inafury。\"Curseyouandyourprotectiontoo!I’mafree—bornBriton,andno————FrenchPapist!Andanymanwhoinsultsmymother——ay,orcallsmefeller——
hadbetterlooktohimselfandthetwoeyesinhishead,Icantellhim!\"AndwiththisMr。BillingsputhimselfintothemostapprovedattitudeoftheCockpit,andinvitedhisfather,thereverendgentleman,andMonsieurlaRosethevalet,toengagewithhiminapugilisticencounter。Thetwolatter,theAbbeespecially,seemeddreadfullyfrightened;buttheCountnowlookedonwithmuchinterest;and,givingutterancetoafeeblekindofchuckle,whichlastedforabouthalfaminute,said,——
\"Pawsoff,Pompey!Youyounghangdog,you——egad,yes,aha!’ponhonour,you’realadofspirit;someofyourfather’sspunkinyou,hey?Iknowhimbythatoath。Why,sir,whenIwassixteen,Iusedtoswear——toswear,egad,likeaThameswaterman,andexactlyinthisfellow’sway!Bussme,mylad;no,kissmyhand。Thatwilldo\"——andheheldoutaveryleanyellowhand,peeringfromapairofyellowruffles。Itshookverymuch,andtheshakingmadealltheringsuponitshineonlythemore。
\"Well,\"saysMr。Billings,\"ifyouwasn’ta—goingtoabusemenormother,Idon’tcareifIshakehandswithyou。Iain’tproud!\"
TheAbbelaughedwithgreatglee;andthatveryeveningsentofftohisCourtamostludicrousspicydescriptionofthewholesceneofmeetingbetweenthisamiablefatherandchild;inwhichhesaidthatyoungBillingswastheelevefavoriofM。Kitch,Ecuyer,lebourreaudeLondres,andwhichmadetheDuke’smistresslaughsomuchthatshevowedthattheAbbeshouldhaveabishopriconhisreturn:for,withsuchstoreofwisdom,lookyou,myson,wastheworldgovernedinthosedays。
TheCountandhisoffspringmeanwhileconversedwithsomecordiality。Theformerinformedthelatterofallthediseasestowhichhewassubject,hismannerofcuringthem,hisgreatconsiderationaschamberlaintotheDukeofBavaria;howheworehisCourtsuits,andofaparticularpowderwhichhehadinventedforthehair;how,whenhewasseventeen,hehadrunawaywithacanoness,egad!whowasafterwardslockedupinaconvent,andgrewtobesixteenstoneinweight;howherememberedthetimewhenladiesdidnotwearpatches;andhowtheDuchessofMarlboroughboxedhisearswhenhewassohigh,becausehewantedtokissher。
Alltheseimportantanecdotestooksometimeinthetelling,andwereaccompaniedbymanyprofoundmoralremarks;suchas,\"Ican’tabidegarlic,norwhite—wine,stapme!norSauerkraut,thoughhisHighnesseatshalfabushelperday。IateitthefirsttimeatCourt;butwhentheybroughtitmeasecondtime,I
refused——refused,splitmeandgrillmeifIdidn’t!Everybodystared;hisHighnesslookedasfierceasaTurk;andthatinfernalKrahwinkel(mydear,Ididforhimafterwards)——thatcursedKrahwinkel,Isay,lookedaspleasedaspossible,andwhisperedtoCountessFritsch,’Blitzchen,FrauGrafinn,’sayshe,’it’salloverwithGalgenstein。’WhatdidIdo?Ihadtheentree,anddemandedit。’Altesse,’saysI,fallingononeknee,’Iatenokrautatdinnerto—day。Youremarkedit:IsawyourHighnessremarkit。’
\"’Idid,M。leComte,’saidhisHighness,gravely。
\"Ihadalmosttearsinmyeyes;butitwasnecessarytocometoaresolution,youknow。’Sir,’saidI,’IspeakwithdeepgrieftoyourHighness,whoaremybenefactor,myfriend,myfather;butofthisIamresolved,IWILLNEVEREATSAUERKRAUTMORE:itdon’tagreewithme。AfterbeinglaidupforfourweeksbythelastdishofSauerkrautofwhichIpartook,Imaysaywithconfidence——IT
DON’Tagreewithme。Byimpairingmyhealth,itimpairsmyintellect,andweakensmystrength;andbothIwouldkeepforyourHighness’sservice。’
\"’Tut,tut!’saidhisHighness。’Tut,tut,tut!’Thosewerehisverywords。
\"’Givememyswordormypen,’saidI。’Givememyswordormypen,andwiththeseMaximiliandeGalgensteinisreadytoserveyou;butsure,——sure,agreatprincewillpitytheweakhealthofafaithfulsubject,whodoesnotknowhowtoeatSauerkraut?’HisHighnesswaswalkingabouttheroom:Iwasstillonmyknees,andstretchedforwardmyhandtoseizehiscoat。
\"’GEHTZUMTEUFEL,Sir!’saidhe,inaloudvoice(itmeans’Gotothedeuce,’mydear),——’GehtzumTeufel,andeatwhatyoulike!’
Withthishewentoutoftheroomabruptly;leavinginmyhandoneofhisbuttons,whichIkeeptothisday。AssoonasIwasalone,amazedbyhisgreatgoodnessandbounty,Isobbedaloud——criedlikeachild\"(theCount’seyesfilledandwinkedattheveryrecollection),\"andwhenIwentbackintothecard—room,steppinguptoKrahwinkel,’Count,’saysI,’wholooksfoolishnow?’——Heythere,LaRose,givemethediamond——Yes,thatwastheverypunImade,andverygooditwasthought。’Krahwinkel,’saysI,’WHOLOOKS
FOOLISHNOW?’andfromthatdaytothisIwasneverataCourt—dayaskedtoeatSauerkraut——NEVER!\"
\"Heythere,LaRose!Bringmethatdiamondsnuff—boxinthedrawerofmysecretaire;\"andthesnuff—boxwasbrought。\"Lookatit,mydear,\"saidtheCount,\"forIsawyouseemedtodoubt。Thereisthebutton——theveryonethatcameoffhisGrace’scoat。\"
Mr。Billingsreceivedit,andtwisteditaboutwithastupidair。
Thestoryhadquitemystifiedhim;forhedidnotdareyettothinkhisfatherwasafool——hisrespectforthearistocracypreventedhim。
WhentheCount’scommunicationshadceased,whichtheydidassoonasthestoryoftheSauerkrautwasfinished,asilenceofsomeminutesensued。Mr。Billingswastryingtocomprehendthecircumstancesabovenarrated;hisLordshipwasexhausted;thechaplainhadquittedtheroomdirectlythewordSauerkrautwasmentioned——heknewwhatwascoming。HisLordshiplookedforsometimeathisson;whoreturnedthegazewithhismouthwideopen。
\"Well,\"saidtheCount——\"well,sir?Whatareyousittingtherefor?
Ifyouhavenothingtosay,sir,youhadbettergo。Ihadyouheretoamuseme——splitme——andnottosittherestaring!\"
Mr。Billingsroseinafury。
\"Harkye,mylad,\"saidtheCount,\"tellLaRosetogivetheefiveguineas,and,ah——comeagainsomemorning。Anicewell—grownyounglad,\"musedtheCount,asMasterTommywalkedwonderingoutoftheapartment;\"aprettyfellowenough,andintelligenttoo。\"
\"Well,heISanoddfellow,myfather,\"thoughtMr。Billings,ashewalkedout,havingreceivedthesumofferedtohim。AndheimmediatelywenttocalluponhisfriendPollyBriggs,fromwhomhehadseparatedinthemorning。
Whatwastheresultoftheirinterviewisnotatallnecessarytotheprogressofthishistory。Havingmadeher,however,acquaintedwiththeparticularsofhisvisittohisfather,hewenttohismother’s,andrelatedtoherallthathadoccurred。
Poorthing,shewasverydifferentlyinterestedintheissueofit!
CHAPTERX。SHOWINGHOWGALGENSTEINANDMRS。CATRECOGNISEEACH
OTHERINMARYLEBONEGARDENS——ANDHOWTHECOUNTDRIVESHERHOMEIN
HISCARRIAGE。
Aboutamonthafterthetouchingconversationaboverelated,therewasgiven,atMaryleboneGardens,agrandconcertandentertainment,atwhichthecelebratedMadameAmenaide,adancerofthetheatreatParis,wastoperform,underthepatronageofseveralEnglishandforeignnoblemen;amongwhomwashisExcellencytheBavarianEnvoy。
MadameAmenaidewas,infact,nootherthanthemaitresseentitreoftheMonsieurdeGalgenstein,whohadheragreatbargainfromtheDukedeRohan—ChabotatParis。
Itisnotourpurposetomakeagreatandlearneddisplayhere,otherwisethecostumesofthecompanyassembledatthisfetemightaffordscopeforatleasthalf—a—dozenpagesoffinewriting;andwemightgive,ifneedwere,specimensoftheverysongsandmusicsungontheoccasion。DoesnottheBurneycollectionofmusic,attheBritishMuseum,affordoneanamplestoreofsongsfromwhichtochoose?AretherenotthememoirsofColleyCibber?thoseofMrs。
Clark,thedaughterofColley?IstherenotCongreve,andFarquhar——nay,andatapinch,the\"DramaticBiography,\"oreventheSpectator,fromwhichtheobservantgeniusmightborrowpassages,andconstructprettyantiquarianfigments?Leavewethesetriflestomeanersouls!Ourbusinessisnotwiththebreechesandperiwigs,withthehoopsandpatches,butwiththedivineheartsofmen,andthepassionswhichagitatethem。Whatneed,therefore,havewetosaythatonthisevening,afterthedancing,themusic,andthefireworks,MonsieurdeGalgensteinfeltthestrangeandwelcomepangsofappetite,andwaspickingacoldchicken,alongwithsomeotherfriendsinanarbour——acoldchicken,withanaccompanimentofabottleofchampagne——whenhewasledtoremarkthataveryhandsomeplumplittleperson,inagorgeousstiffdamaskgownandpetticoat,wassaunteringupanddownthewalkrunningoppositehissupping—place,andbestowingcontinualglancestowardshisExcellency。Thelady,whoevershewas,wasinamask,suchasladiesofhighandlowfashionworeatpublicplacesinthosedays,andhadamalecompanion。Hewasaladofonlyseventeen,marvellouslywelldressed——indeed,nootherthantheCount’sownson,Mr。ThomasBillings;whohadatlengthreceivedfromhismotherthesilver—hiltedsword,andthewig,whichthataffectionateparenthadpromisedtohim。
Inthecourseofthemonthwhichhadelapsedsincetheinterviewthathasbeendescribedintheformerchapter,Mr。Billingshadseveraltimeshadoccasiontowaitonhisfather;butthoughhehad,accordingtoherwishes,frequentlyalludedtotheexistenceofhismother,theCounthadneveratanytimeexpressedtheslightestwishtorenewhisacquaintancewiththatlady;who,ifshehadseenhim,hadonlyseenhimbystealth。
Thefactis,thatafterBillingshadrelatedtohertheparticularsofhisfirstmeetingwithhisExcellency;whichended,likemanyofthelattervisits,innothingatall;Mrs。Hayeshadfoundsomepressingbusiness,whichcontinuallytookhertoWhitehall,andhadbeenprowlingfromdaytodayaboutMonsieurdeGalgenstein’slodgings。Fourorfivetimesintheweek,ashisExcellencysteppedintohiscoach,hemighthaveremarked,hadhechosen,awomaninablackhood,whowaslookingmosteagerlyintohiseyes:butthoseeyeshadlongsinceleftoffthepracticeofobserving;andMadamCatherine’svisitshadsofargonefornothing。
Onthisnight,however,inspiredbygaietyanddrink,theCounthadbeenamazinglystrickenbythegaitandoglingoftheladyinthemask。TheReverendO’Flaherty,whowaswithhim,andhadobservedthefigureintheblackcloak,recognised,orthoughtherecognised,her。\"ItisthewomanwhodogsyourExcellencyeveryday,\"saidhe。
\"Sheiswiththattailorladwholovestoseepeoplehanged——yourExcellency’sson,Imean。\"AndhewasjustabouttowarntheCountofaconspiracyevidentlymadeagainsthim,andthatthesonhadbrought,mostlikely,themothertoplayherartsuponhim——hewasjustabout,Isay,toshowtotheCountthefollyanddangerofrenewinganoldliaisonwithawomansuchashehaddescribedMrs。
Cattobe,whenhisExcellency,startingup,andinterruptinghisghostlyadviserattheverybeginningofhissentence,said,\"Egad,l’Abbe,youareright——itISmyson,andamightysmart—lookingcreaturewithhim。Hey!Mr。What’s—your—name——Tom,yourogue,don’tyouknowyourownfather?\"Andsosaying,andcockinghisbeaverononeside,MonsieurdeGalgensteinstruttedjauntilyafterMr。
Billingsandthelady。
ItwasthefirsttimethattheCounthadformallyrecognisedhisson。
\"Tom,yourogue,\"stoppedatthis,andtheCountcameup。Hehadawhitevelvetsuit,coveredoverwithstarsandorders,aneatmodestwigandbag,andpeach—colouredsilk—stockingswithsilverclasps。
TheladyinthemaskgaveastartashisExcellencycameforward。
\"Law,mother,don’tsqueegeso,\"saidTom。Thepoorwomanwastremblingineverylimb,butshehadpresenceofmindto\"squeege\"
Tomagreatdealharder;andthelattertookthehint,Isuppose,andwassilent。
ThesplendidCountcameup。Yegods,howhisembroideryglitteredinthelamps!Whataroyalexhalationofmuskandbergamotcamefromhiswig,hishandkerchief,andhisgrandlacerufflesandfrills!Abroadyellowribandpassedacrosshisbreast,andendedathishipinashiningdiamondcross——adiamondcross,andadiamondsword—hilt!Wasanythingeverseensobeautiful?Andmightnotapoorwomantremblewhensuchanoblecreaturedrewneartoher,anddeigned,fromtheheightofhisrankandsplendour,tolookdownuponher?AsJovecamedowntoSemeleinstate,inhishabitsofceremony,withallthegrandcordonsofhisordersblazingabouthisimperialperson——thusdazzling,magnificent,triumphant,thegreatGalgensteindescendedtowardsMrs。Catherine。Hercheeksglowedred—hotunderhercoyvelvetmask,herheartthumpedagainstthewhaleboneprisonofherstays。Whatadeliciousstormofvanitywasraginginherbosom!Whatarushoflong—pentrecollectionsburstforthatthesoundofthatenchantingvoice!
Asyouwindupahundred—guineachronometerwithatwopennywatch—key——asbymeansofadirtywoodenplugyousetallthewatersofVersaillesa—raging,andsplashing,andstorming——inlikemanner,andbylikehumbleagents,wereMrs。Catherine’stumultuouspassionssetgoing。TheCount,wehavesaid,slippeduptohisson,andmerelysaying,\"Howdo,Tom?\"cuttheyounggentlemanaltogether,andpassingroundtothelady’sside,said,\"Madam,’tisacharmingevening——egaditis!\"Shealmostfainted:itwastheoldvoice。
Therehewas,afterseventeenyears,oncemoreatherside!
NowIknowwhatIcouldhavedone。IcanturnoutaquotationfromSophocles(bylookingtotheindex)aswellasanother:Icanthrowoffabitoffinewritingtoo,withpassion,similes,andamoralattheend。What,pray,isthelastsentencebutonebuttheveryfinestwriting?Suppose,forexample,IhadmadeMaximilian,ashestoodbythesideofCatherine,lookuptowardstheclouds,andexclaim,inthewordsofthevoluptuousCorneliusNepos,’Aenaoinephelai’ArthoomenphaneraiDroseranphusineuageetoi,k。t。l。*
*Anglicisedversionoftheauthor’soriginalGreektext。
Orsuppose,again,Ihadsaid,inastylestillmorepopular:——
TheCountadvancedtowardsthemaiden。Theybothweremuteforawhile;andonlythebeatingofherheartinterruptedthatthrillingandpassionatesilence。Ah,whatyearsofburiedjoysandfears,hopesanddisappointments,arosefromtheirgravesinthefarpast,andinthosebriefmomentsflittedbeforetheunitedones!Howsadwasthatdeliciousretrospect,andoh,howsweet!Thetearsthatrolleddownthecheekofeachwerebubblesfromthechokedandmoss—grownwellsofyouth;thesighthatheavedeachbosomhadsomelurkingodoursinit——memoriesofthefragranceofboyhood,echoesofthehymnsoftheyoungheart!Thusisitever——fortheseblessedrecollectionsthesoulalwayshasaplace;andwhilecrimeperishes,andsorrowisforgotten,thebeautifulaloneiseternal。
\"Ogoldenlegends,writtenintheskies!\"musedDeGalgenstein,\"yeshineasyedidintheoldendays!WEchange,butYEspeakeverthesamelanguage。Gazinginyourabysmaldepths,thefeebleratioci——\"
*****
There,now,aresixcolumns*ofthebestwritingtobefoundinthisoranyotherbook。GalgensteinhasquotedEuripidesthrice,Platoonce,Lycophronninetimes,besidesextractsfromtheLatinsyntaxandtheminorGreekpoets。Catherine’spassionateembreathingsareofthemostfashionableorder;andIcallupontheingeniouscriticoftheX————newspapertosaywhethertheydonotpossesstherealimpressofthegiantsoftheoldentime——therealPlatonicsmack,inaword?NotthatIwantintheleasttoshowoff;butitisaswell,everynowandthen,toshowthepublicwhatoneCANdo。
(*ThereWEREsixcolumns,asmentionedbytheaccurateMr。
Solomons;butwehavewithdrawntwopagesandthree—quarters,because,althoughourcorrespondenthasbeenexcessivelyeloquent,accordingtocustom,wewereanxioustocometothefactsofthestory。
Mr。Solomons,bysendingtoouroffice,mayhavethecancelledpassages。——O。Y。)
Instead,however,ofallthisrantandnonsense,howmuchfineristhespeechthattheCountreallydidmake!\"Itisaveryfineevening,——egaditis!\"The\"egad\"didthewholebusiness:Mrs。Catwasasmuchinlovewithhimnowasevershehadbeen;and,gatheringupallherenergies,shesaid,\"Itisdreadfulhottoo,I
think;\"andwiththisshemadeacurtsey。
\"Stifling,splitme!\"addedhisExcellency。\"Whatdoyousay,madam,toarestinanarbour,andadrinkofsomethingcool?\"
\"Sir!\"saidthelady,drawingback。
\"Oh,adrink——adrinkbyallmeans,\"exclaimedMr。Billings,whowastroubledwithaperpetualthirst。\"Come,mo——,Mrs。Jones,Imean。
you’refondofaglassofcoldpunch,youknow;andtherumhereisprime,Icantellyou。\"
TheladyinthemaskconsentedwithsomedifficultytotheproposalofMr。Billings,andwasledbythetwogentlemenintoanarbour,whereshewasseatedbetweenthem;andsomewax—candlesbeinglighted,punchwasbrought。
Shedrankoneortwoglassesveryeagerly,andsodidhertwocompanions;althoughitwasevidenttosee,fromtheflushedlooksofbothofthem,thattheyhadlittleneedofanysuchstimulus。
TheCount,inthemidstofhischampagne,itmustbesaid,hadbeenamazinglystrickenandscandalisedbytheappearanceofsuchayouthasBillingsinapublicplacewithaladyunderhisarm。Hewas,thereaderwillthereforeunderstand,inthemoralstageofliquor;
andwhenheissuedout,itwasnotmerelywiththeintentionofexaminingMr。Billings’sfemalecompanion,butofadministeringtohimsomesoundcorrectionforventuring,athisearlyperiodoflife,toformanysuchacquaintances。OnjoiningBillings,hisExcellency’sfirststepwasnaturallytoexaminethelady。Aftertheyhadbeensittingforawhileovertheirpunch,hebethoughthimofhisoriginalpurpose,andbegantoaddressanumberofmoralremarkstohisson。
WehavealreadygivensomespecimensofMonsieurdeGalgenstein’ssoberconversation;anditishardlynecessarytotroublethereaderwithanyfurtherreportsofhisspeeches。Theywereintolerablystupidanddull;asegotisticalashismorninglecturehadbeen,andahundredtimesmoreramblingandprosy。IfCathadbeeninthepossessionofhersobersenses,shewouldhaveseeninfiveminutesthatherancientloverwasaninny,andhavelefthimwithscorn;
butshewasunderthecharmofoldrecollections,andthesoundofthatsillyvoicewastohermagical。AsforMr。Billings,heallowedhisExcellencytocontinuehisprattle;onlyfrowning,yawning,cursingoccasionally,butdrinkingcontinually。
SotheCountdescantedatlengthupontheenormityofyoungBillings’searlyliaisons;andthenhetoldhisown,intheyearfour,withaburgomaster’sdaughteratRatisbon,whenhewasintheElectorofBavaria’sservice——then,afterBlenheim,whenhehadcomeovertotheDukeofMarlborough,whenaphysician’swifeatBonnpoisonedherselfforhim,etc。etc。;ofapiecewiththestoryofthecanoness,whichhasbeenrecordedbefore。Allthetalesweretrue。Aclever,uglymaneverynowandthenissuccessfulwiththeladies;butahandsomefoolisirresistible。Mrs。Catlistenedandlistened。Goodheavens!shehadheardallthesetalesbefore,andrecollectedtheplaceandthetime——howshewashemmingahandkerchiefforMax;whocameroundandkissedher,vowingthatthephysician’swifewasnothingcomparedtoher——howhewastired,andlyingonthesofa,justcomehomefromshooting。Howhandsomehelooked!Catthoughthewasonlythehandsomernow;andlookedmoregraveandthoughtful,thedearfellow!
Thegardenwasfilledwithavastdealofcompanyofallkinds,andpartieswerepassingeverymomentbeforethearbourwhereourtriosat。Abouthalf—an—hourafterhisExcellencyhadquittedhisownboxandparty,theRev。Mr。O’Flahertycamediscreetlyround,toexaminetheproceedingsofhisdiplomaticalchef。Theladyinthemaskwaslisteningwithallhermight;Mr。Billingswasdrawingfiguresonthetablewithpunch;andtheCounttalkingincessantly。
TheFatherConfessorlistenedforamoment;andthen,withsomethingresemblinganoath,walkedawaytotheentryofthegardens,wherehisExcellency’sgiltcoach,withthreefootmen,waswaitingtocarryhimbacktoLondon。\"Getmeachair,Joseph,\"saidhisReverence,whoinfinitelypreferredaseatgratisinthecoach。
\"Thatfool,\"mutteredhe,\"willnotmoveforthishour。\"Thereverendgentlemanknewthat,whentheCountwasonthesubjectofthephysician’swife,hisdiscourseswereintolerablylong;andtookuponhimself,therefore,todisappear,alongwiththerestoftheCount’sparty;whoprocuredotherconveyances,andreturnedtotheirhomes。
AfterthisquietshadowhadpassedbeforetheCount’sbox,manygroupsofpersonspassedandrepassed;andamongthemwasnootherthanMrs。PollyBriggs,towhomwehavebeenalreadyintroduced。
Mrs。Pollywasincompanywithoneortwootherladies,andleaningonthearmofagentlemanwithlargeshouldersandcalves,afiercecocktohishat,andashabbygenteelair。HisnamewasMr。Moffat,andhispresentoccupationwasthatofdoorkeeperatagambling—
houseinCoventGarden;where,thoughhesawmanythousandspassdailyunderhiseyes,hisownsalaryamountedtonomorethanfour—and—sixpenceweekly,——asumquiteinsufficienttomaintainhimintherankwhichheheld。
Mr。Moffathad,however,receivedsomefunds——amountingindeed,toamatteroftwelveguineas——withinthelastmonth,andwastreatingMrs。Briggsverygenerouslytotheconcert。ItmaybeaswelltosaythateveryoneofthetwelveguineashadcomeoutofMrs。
Polly’sownpocket;who,inreturn,hadreceivedthemfromMr。