The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 128: what you’re looking at

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

THE BANQUET 111 from his seat and lifting a tumbler of wine to his lips, “ I must drink to the health of my friend, Mr. Sackville, and long life to him! But as it would be rude not to pay my respects to Sir Douglas Huntingdon,” he went on to say, refilling the tumbler he had just emptied, “I must drink to his health.’ Then, after draining the glass, and while replenishing it, he added, ‘“‘ Likewise the Right Honourable the Earl of Curzon;”’ and after another brief pause, during which he poured the draught down his capacious throat, he said, ‘‘ Forasmuch as there is but another tumblerful in the decanter, it would be a pity not to dispose of it to advan- tage, and so I will drink it to the health of any whom such health may concern.” The prince, the Marquis of Leveson, the earl, and Sir Douglas had all drunk quite enough to be in a humour to laugh heartily at Captain Tash’s freaks; nor was Horace, though far more temperate, and indeed perfectly sober, inclined to be less jovial on the oecasion. But so soon as the gallant officer had exhausted all the wine as well as his catalogue of excuses for disposing of it, Sackville bade his friends good night and left the room. Venetia was waiting for him in another apartment, to which the accommodating butler had shown her; and before the newly married couple took their departure in the carriage that was waiting for them, they informed Mr. Plumpstead that he might enter their service at Acacia Cottage on the morrow. The carriages of the other guests were soon announced, the party broke up, and when Mrs. Malpas returned home from her plebeian relatives in the City, she heard that her husband had been soundly thrashed in the first place and taken away to a sponging-house afterward. Ss (C(O) CONNICLOO©