The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 131: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

pg a THE YOUNG DUCHESS; OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY, ‘“‘T see you’ve got the gloves there, old fellah,” said Captain Cauliflower, as if quite in a careless way. Yes,” replied Sir Abel. “ But I’m out of sorts to-day—lI couldn’t put them on “Of course you can play with the gloves, Mistah Casey ?” said the Captain. “Oh, Casey? he’s up to everything,” inter- jected the Baronet. ‘‘ Devilish fine fellah!” observed Captain Cauli- flower approvingly. ‘Come, let’s have a turn with the gloves. I don’t profess to be strong. at this game—I don’t think I ever had the gloves on more than twice in my life—and therefore you must be stronger than me.” Sylvester had swallowed a pint of stout and a couple of glasses of cherry brandy ; Mr. Tiffany was still patting him on the back; and he was evidently gaining ground rapidly in the opinion of his new friends. At least so he thought; and under this conviction he stood up with a manly air and put on the gloves, mentally consoling himself with the reflection that ‘‘they were such nice soft things, they could not possibly hurt even a child !” Captain Cauliflower also put on the gloves, ex- pressing the while his conviction ‘“‘ that he was a great fool to do so, for that he was sure to get the worst of it—that he didn’t know what the devil possessed him, but he supposed it was that he’d got excited by the pleasure of forming Mr. Casey’s acquaintance—and so he supposed he must go in and take the chance of it.” And he did go in; but a very little chance it was that he had to take of it—for the truth was that Captain Cauliflower was quite as proficient with the gloves as Lieutenant Tiffany was with the single-stick : and thus, after having permitted Sylvester Casey to give him two or three taps, he set to work and began to polish off his opponent in the most pleasant style possible. Now it was a blow in the right eye—then a blow flat upon the mouth which made Sylvester's teeth chatter— then it wasin the left eye—then a couple of rapid buffets upon the cheeks, so that Sylvester kept dancing and skipping about to his own infinite discomfort, but to the huge delight of the others present, until Captain Cauliflower dealt him one tremendous side-blow, or in other parlance a sound box on the ear which sent him sprawling in the grate. Bruised in body and mortified in mind—with one eye nearly bunged up, and a cheek swollen as if it were puffed out with a wen—Sylvester picked himself up: he tried to smile, but the attempt was somewhat a faint one. The Baronet saw that ne was hurt, humiliated, and more than half in- clined to be angry; and as we have before said, it suited Sir Abel’s purpose to keep on friendly terms with him. He therefore hastened to take him by the hand, exclaiming, ‘You did uncom- monly well, Casey. Tiffany will remember the xnocks he got from your stick—and Cauliflower das no particular reason to triumph. Besides, I will say this, my dear fellow, that whenever there’s any fun going on, you're always the first to enter into it. But, I say, by the bye, why shouldn't you three fellows dine here with me this evening ?” ‘6 Oh, with pleasure! I'll be one of you!” Syl- vester hastened. to ejaculate; and now his swollen zountenance began to brighten up. 117 ‘What say you, Cauliflower? will you come? I'll give you some turtle—— ‘Ah! my dear fellah,” said the Captain, caress- ing his whiskers, and speaking with an affected drawl; ‘‘turtle’s a great institution—a very great institution.” ‘‘ And a neck of venison,” added Sir Abel. ‘‘Venison’s great, my dear fellaw,” interjected Tiffany,—“ very great. We are your men for the dinnaw. Let it be at eight sharp ; and d—n the fellaw that keeps it waiting.” ‘Mind and have French beans, my dear fellah,” suggested Captain Cauliflower. ‘“‘ There’s plenty in Covent Garden.” ‘‘ T should think so,” cried Casey. ‘ Why, it’s the middle of May—quite late for peas and French beans—that is to say, in decent society.” ‘“‘ But I say, old fellah,” continued Cauliflower, now giving along lazy yawn; ‘don’t forget the currant jelly. Not that I ever touch it before the fifth plate of venison; but still it ought to be on the table. Ah! by the way, shall we bring up the Colonel with us?” “What, Bulder?” asked the Baronet, with a slight grimace. ‘But isn’t he rather a bit of a bore with his Indian stories ?” “Well, the fact is,’ drawled out Tiffany, now catching the yawning infection from his friend the Captain, “ Bulder is rather well up in snakes and crocodiles.” ‘¢ And every one who has been abroad,” said the Baronet, ‘“‘seems te think he has a right to lie about snakes and wild beasts, and all that sort of thing. However, bring up the Colonel if you like. Ill take care there shall be enough—and Tl have some champagne put in ice.” These matters being arranged to the satisfaction of all present, Mr. Sylvester Casey took his de- parture in his splendid phaeton, to speed to Hatton Garden and tell his mother and sister of the fine new acquaintances he had formed, and likewise to bathe his face with vinegar; while on the other hand Captain Cauliflower and Mr. Tiffany strolled up Regent Street, to look at the women, and to eat ices at some fashionable resort where that cooling comestible was dispensed to perfection. Sir Abel Kingston, when left to himself, sum- moned his man-servant and gave orders for the dinner. He then looked at his watch: it was a quarter to four o’clock—the time was approaching when the promised cheque was to find its way into his hands. He began calculating what he should do with the amount; and he speedily found that if he settled all his most pressing liabilities, he would still leave some debts unpaid. But then, could he not again have recourse to the purse of the Duchess? He thought so. He might have asked for thirty thousand on the preceding even- ing: but he had deemed it more prudent at the time to be comparatively moderate in his de- mands. A little before four o’clock a cab drove up to the entrance of Spring Gardens in Cockspur Street; and Lavinia alighted. But at that very same instant another cab halted on the spot; and out sprang the Duke of Ardleigh. Lavinia was trans- fixed with dismay on thus being confronted with her ducal master ; and he, taking advantage of her confusion, at once said, ‘You have something to deliver close by ?” ‘Yes, my lord—that is to say, your Grace——” TT TT TT oO COMO Colin