The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 71: what you’re looking at

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

THE SCHOOLMASTER 55 “You sall be de yong mans what de lord chamberlain did come for to go after dis afternoon? ”’ was the question which Baron Raggidbak put to Christian. Our hero bowed, and said, “‘ Yes, my lord.”’ ‘“'Vare goot,” said the baron, complacently caressing his bearded chin, and now looking far more favourably upon our hero, as if that respectful appellation of “‘ my lord” had considerably sweetened the temper of the groom of the stole. ‘‘ You vare quick wid de pen? You vare clever wid de writin’ and de spellin’ in de Inglis langvidge, eh? ”’ ““T have a testimonial to exhibit, my lord,’ answered Christian, ‘“‘ which I think will be satisfactory.”’ “ Vare goot,”’ said the baron, still caressing his chin with one hand, and playing with a copper-gilt watch-chain with the other; ‘‘ den you sall succeed wit his Royal Highness. Ah, dis is de Chevalier Kadger! De chevalier is de — how you call him? — de querry to his Royal Highness, and de chevalier sall go for to introduce you.” The Chevalier Kadger, who entered the anteroom at the moment, wore a sort of military uniform, of dark green cloth, tolerably threadbare, with tarnished gold lace, and red stripes down the pantaloons. He was a heavy, sleepy, vulgar-looking man, with dark wiry hair brushed straight off from his forehead, and a very fierce moustache. He said - gomething in German to the Baron Raggidbak, at which they both chuckled in what Christian fancied to be a somewhat vulgar manner. | The Chevalier Kadger then planted himself close in front of our hero, contemplating him slowly from head to foot. Christian underwent this inspection with exemplary patience, inasmuch as he thought it one of the necessary preliminaries to the successful attainment of his object. But as he stood with his eyes modestly bent down, he became aware of a certain disagreeable odour floating around him, and which seemed to be compounded of stale tobacco-smoke, garlic, and rum. At first he fancied he must certainly be mistaken, as such an ignoble effluence could scarcely have its source in the person of so distinguished a character as the Chevalier Kadger, equerry-in-waiting to a reigning duke. But when there was no longer a possibility of resisting his own convictions, and when his olfactory organs proved beyond all mistake that it was veritably and truly the chevalier’s person which was COMNMIC DOC) SS (E©) mM