The Young Duchess; or, Memoirs of a Lady of Quality — page 37: what you’re looking at

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

THE YOUNG DUCHESS; OR, MEMOIRS OF A LADY OF QUALITY. 23 lived ; and if we make this comparison, it is simply to show that Miss Alice Denton was better lodged than her friend. Yes—Alice lived in the York Road. She oc- cupied apartments on the first floor: they were ready furnished, but the appointments were of no very elegant character, and the entire aspect of the place bespoke the lodging-house. Neverthe- less, for this suite of apartments on the first floor Alice Denton paid thirty shillings a week—in addition to which there were fees for attendance; so that, including the expense of coals and other little et ceteras, Miss Denton lodged at a rental of about two guineas a week. She was fond of good living ; and her repasts were of a succulent nature accordingly. On the sideboard there were decanters containing wine. Miss Denton also dressed showily, and frequently appeared with some new article of raiment. But being only in the receipt of a salary of two guineas and a half a week at Astley’s Theatre, it is an evident impos- sibility that Alice Denton could maintain such a style of living on those comparatively slender re- sources. Truth therefore compels us to state that she was the mistress of a certain Mr. Sylvester Casey, to whom allusion has been previously made. The dashing phaeton and pair which we repre- sented as turning into the Yaerk Road, contained that gentleman and his livery-servant. Mr. Sylvester Casey was about five-and-twenty years of age, short in stature and mean-looking in ap- pearance—tred-haired and freckled—of immense pretensions and of a still more stupendous vul- garity. There was nothing of the gentleman about him, but everything bespeaking the “ ventish” upstart—the parvenu who wanted to be considered « very fast young man. Thus he was dressed in-an extravagant fashion—that is to say, in all the most recent abominations of cut- away coat, peculiar waistcoat, marvellous shirt, and astounding pantaloons. He was bedizened with jewellery: he wore a quizzing-glass con- tinnally. at his right eye, that side of the face being all screwed up to retain it; and he had a cigar in his mouth, though in reality his stomach heaved painfully against tobacco-smoke. His ser- vant was one of those cunning, leary-looking, short, bow-legged men who may invariably be seen hanging about the mews and stables at the West End of the town, who infest betting-houses, and swarm wpon race-courses. Indeed, Mr. Syl- vester Casey considered that a groom of sporting appearance was indispensable to a gentleman who had just started a fine turn-out. The domestic’s livery was therefore outrageous flaring in colour and flaunting in lace ; and as if the fellow thought that in some sense he must ape his master, he held a flower between his lips, while the other had the cigar. Everything was new in the entire equipage: and as Mr. Sylvester Casey held the ribbons and gave an artistic flourisn with his whip as he dashed round the corner into the York Road, the whole appearance of the thing pro- claimed as eloquently as possible, “ We are all bran new ! do look at us!” . In this style did Sylvester Casey drive up to the door of the house where dwelt the handsome Alice Denton. <A crowd of half-a-dozen small boys, two beggars, and a baker's man, instan- ‘taneously collected; and Sylvester, while endea- vouring to do the thing very fine by tossing the reins in a nonchalant manner to his groom, and then leaping out just as if he were perfectly well accustomed to the use of his own private equipage, stumbled and knocked his shin against the sharp edge of the projecting iron step with a violence that brought all the blood into his face and tears into his eyes. Then, though suffering ex- cruciations, he endeavoured to look as if it were nothing of any consequence: while the small boys were tittering around, and he caught a sly impu- dent smile just vanishing away from the features of his groom. “You can walk the prads about for about half- an-hour, Tom,” said Mr. Sylvester Casey. “ And I tell you what you can do——You can just drive down to What’s-his-name yonder, and tell him he needn’t keep the black mare any longer for me, as ve made up my mind I shan’t take her. And, I say, Tom, just look in at tother place—you know where I mean—down there, you know— and see whether the brown cob is still to be had— and if so, let Jenkins get the saddle on in about half-an-hour or so, and Jl just give him a trial,” All these directions were simply given because the groom interjected a “Yes, sir,” at every third word that his master spoke; and every “ Yes, sir,” was accompanied by a touch of the hat, which Mr. Sylvester had no doubt produced a very grand effect upon the little crowd collected around, and upon all beholders who were staring from their windows. SBesides, it was even still more for the behoof of the fair Alice Denton her- self that the process of order-giving and hat- touching was sustained; for this was the first day that Sylvester had sported his new turn-out—the first occasion therefore on- which Alice had seen it. He entered the house, and ascended the stairs to Miss Denton’s sitting-room. Throwing himself upon the sofa, taking off his hat with one hand, and running the fingers of the other through his villanous straight coarse red hair, he said in an affected tone, ‘‘ Well, Alice, what do you think of it? Itli do, eh? It’s the thing, isn’t it? Rather slap-up, I fancy ? A neat trap—ain’t it ? And the prads—stunners—eh ?” ‘Well, it is a very pretty turn-out, Sylvester,” responded Alice. “And I suppose you mean to come to-morrow and take me for a drive with you? You have often promised that we should ‘go to Richmond and have dinner at the Star and Garter ” “ That’s like eating gold, Alice !” answered Mr. Sylvester Casey. ‘‘ Not that I mind, you know— only I was thinking that if we went to Green- wich———there you can get such a nice tea—for— for “‘Ninepence a piece !” cried Alice, with min- gled gaiety and contempt. ‘“ Fie, Sylvester! If you can afford to keep that dashing equipage, you surely can manage to treat me with 4a little more liberality than you have done.” “Well, by Jove, Alice!” ejaculated Sylvester, “if this isn’t too bad! You have all you want. Look at these lodgings—fit for a princess !” “ Tought to have my own furniture,” interjected Alice poutingly. “Every young lady in my situa- tion “Oh, nonsense! your own furniture !” exclaimed 9) 8 COMO oO Colin