The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 283: what you’re looking at

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

254 REYNOLDS’ WORKS porter to take care that they never again cross my thresh- old.”’ Nothing could exceed the rage of the three Germans on hearing this mandate issued. The Chevalier Gumbinnen thrust his hands into his hair, and tore at it violently, as if he were madly intent on tearing out masses by the roots, and then, with a loud ‘‘ Begar! ”’ he rushed toward Christian to deal him a blow. But the footman sprang forward, at the same time shouting for help, and seizing the Chevalier Gumbinnen by the coat collar at the back part of the neck, he forced him from the room. Two other tall, powerful foot- men instantaneously made their appearance; they laid hands upon the Chevalier Kadger and Count Frumpenhausen in a similar manner, and ejected them in the same style. When once out of their ducal master’s sight, the three foot- man gave free vent to their antipathies against the Ger- mans, and from the top of the stairs to the bottom it was a series of kicks respectively administered to the hinderquarters of those three retainers of the high and mighty prince, the Grand Duke of Maxe-Stolburg-Quotha. Through the spacious hall were the miserable Germans thus ignominously urged along, until they were finally expelled, each with a good parting kick, from the portals of the mansion, the whole scene being to the infinite amuse- ment of the domestics who administered the chastisement, as well as of the others who were lounging in the hall at the time. Now, the usage which the three Germans thus experienced was certainly somewhat of the roughest, and the conse- quences were displayed in the condition of their apparel as they made their forced and ignominious exit from the ducal mansion. The Chevalier Gumbinnen had the seat of his pantaloons most uncomfortably rent, and as his coat was very short, the damage was plainly visible. Furthermore, as he wore no shirt, the incident was fraught with a still sreater inconvenience, for something more than a glimpse of the filthiest pair of drawers was afforded. The Chevalier Kadger had the rent under the armpit most cruelly magni- fied, and his independence of linen, calico, or long-cloth, in the shape of shirting, was likewise apparent. As for Count Frumpenhausen, who wore a great loose coat, very much in the shape of a blouse, its strong, coarse material had CORNICE IOOLKKS (E(0)