The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 110: what you’re looking at

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96 a a a a ca a ra rat THB YOUNG DUCHESS; OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY. eee ge tt er “‘ How pleasant this is!” said Alice, when one course of fish had been disposed of and the waiter was about to bring in another. “Well, it’s pleasant enough,” answered Syl- vester—“ but deuced expensive. Indeed I don’t see the fun of your having ordered salmon cutlets in addition to eels and whitebai ” ‘‘ Nonsense, Sylvester!” said Miss Denton: ‘you know you promised me the regular fish din- ner; and I was determined to have it all. So den’t go and-make yourself miserable, nor me either, by your meanness.” . “Meanness? Come, that’s rather too strong!” exclaimed Sylvester angrily. ‘' Mean indeed ! Why, look at the wine!”—and he pointed -to a pint of sherry which he had ordered. “‘T can’t bear sherry—I never drink it,” said Alice. ‘Oh, here is a waiter. Let us order a “Have some ale, dear,” said, her protector, en- treatingly: then in order to show off before the waiter, he stuck his quizzing-glass in his eye, ran his fingers through his hair, and talking very loud, went on to say, “Not but that it is quite the same to me what you drink, my dear. Only, you know,”—here he kicked her under the table — champagne always does disagree with you ; and I know”—here he gave her another kick— “you can’t bear Hock.” _ “Well, never mind about the champagne dis-, agreeing with me,” interrupted Alice, with a mischievous smile. ‘I will risk it for ence.” — ‘“‘Nonsense!” muttered Sylvester.in a savage« undertone. ‘ Waiter, a pot of ” “Yes, waiter —a bottle of champagne:” and then Alice, laughing merrily, added, ‘‘ You see, dear Sylvester, Iam determined to make myself ill for once!” ‘What the devil did you do this for ?” de- manded the young man the instant the door had closed behind the waiter. ‘ Didn’t you think the bill would be heavy enough as it was ?” ““Oh, come,” interrupted Alice gaily, “if you object to pay for the champagne, I am perfectly willing to do so out of my own purse.” ‘“¢ T was only in fun, Alice. How deuced sharp you are at taking one at one’s word! At the same time I think the ale would have been better. But no matter, as the champagne is ordered Ps ‘Hush ! here it comes,” said Miss Denton: and in a few moments the report of the flying cork echoed through the apartment. _ The countenance of the waiter beamed with satisfaction, for a waiter is always pleased with visitors who drink expensive wine. ' “ What were you telling me just now?” asked Alice after a pause, during which glasses of cham- pagne were quaffed and fresh dishes were placed upon the table,—“something about your father being in a very ill humour this morning ?” ““Why, yes—the governor was out of sorts,” replied Sylvester; ‘‘and he pulled such a precious long face when I asked him for money, that one would really have thought that he was afraid of being made bankrupt. So you see, Alice, the more difficult it gets for me to bleed the old fellow, the more you ought to be obliged for what _ Ido for you.” ' “Don’t talk to me in this strain, Sylvester,—or else you will make me angry. Instead of doing much for me, you get more and more reluctant every time I speak to you on money-matters. But we won't quarrel now, over these salmon cutlets and this excellent champagne! You were going to tell me why your father was so cross.” “ Ah! the governor—who is never in the best of tempers at any time—was as contrairy as pos- sible. But it was enough to make him though! —and I shouldn’t like to be in the shoes of a certain stockbroker whom the governor means to trounce this afternoon.” “ What! beat him—chastise him, with his fists or with a horsewhip ?” “Deuce a bit! The governor doesn’t fight with those weapons. It will be a warrant from the Mansion House or a summons from the Bank- ruptcy Court, unless the stockbroker. cashes up.” ‘Does he owe your father much?” inquired Miss Denton. “ About five thousand,” replied Sylvester,—“ a great, deal too much to lose. The governor sus- pects that there’s something wrong in the affair ; so he’s determined to-have his money back again ; and if it isn’t forthcoming, Mr. Warren—that’s the name of the stockbroker—stands a devilish good chance of sleeping to-night in Newgate. The governor told me he should go to him precisely at. three o’clock this afternoon; so at that hour I expect there will be a.regular shindy.” “Well,” said Mr. Warren to himself, in the next room, as‘he looked at his watch, “ it is only a quarter to two; so I’ve got exactly an hour and a quarter before me—and then we shall see which will have most reason to look small, Mr. Michael Casey or myself.” . The fact was that the window of the room where the stockbroker was lunching, was also open, and the table was placed against it: every syllable that Sylvester said, was therefore plainly audible to the individual whom it somewhat inti- mately concerned. It will perhaps be satisfactory to the reader to know that the discourse in ques- tion did not at all affect Mr. Warren’s appetite ; but that he did ample justice to the repast which he had ordered. tines? CHAPTER XXIL THREE—FOUR—FIVE. PRECISELY at three o’clock the stockbroker alighted from a cab at the door of his office,—on entering which he found Mr. Casey senior waiting for him. “Ah,” said Mr. Warren, with an easy air of indifference, half familiar, half cool,—‘' I knew you were to be here at three; and so I hurried back on purpose to meet you. Walk ito my private office.” ‘“‘ And pray, Mr. Warren,” demanded the usurer, ‘‘how did you know that I meant to call here punctually at three? I did not say so in the note which I left yesterday.” ‘*No—you simply said that you should insist upon seeing me some time to-day. But I knew you were coming at three. I knew likewise,” continued Mr. Warren, deliberately drawing off his gloves and laying them across the brim of his hat,—'*I knew likewise that you had ex- pressed the most friendly intentions towards me ” ( COMO YN Wn) Colin