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Whistlebinkie。'
〃On driving up to the 'Cairngorm Arms;' I found a gentleman of
military appearance standing at the doer; and occupied seemingly in
smoking a cigar。 It was very dark as I descended from my carriage;
and the gentleman in question exclaimed; 'Is it you; Southdown my
boy? You have come too late; unless you are come to have some
supper;' or words to that effect。 I explained that I was not the
Lord Viscount Southdown; and politely apprised Captain Silvertop
(for I justly concluded the individual before me could be no other)
of his mistake。
〃'Who the deuce' (the Captain used a stronger term) 'are you;
then?' said Mr。 Silvertop。 'Are you Baggs and Tapewell; my uncle's
attorneys? If you are; you have come too late for the fair。'
〃I briefly explained that I was not Baggs and Tapewell; but that my
name was Jms; and that I was a gentleman connected with the
establishment of the Morning Tatler newspaper。
〃'And what has brought you here; Mr。 Morning Tatler?' asked my
interlocutor; rather roughly。 My answer was frankthat the
disappearance of a noble lady from the house of her friends had
caused the greatest excitement in the metropolis; and that my
employers were anxious to give the public every particular
regarding an event so singular。
〃'And do you mean to say; sir; that you have dogged me all the way
from London; and that my family affairs are to be published for the
readers of the Morning Tatler newspaper? The Morning Tatter be
(the Captain here gave utterance to an oath which I shall not
repeat) and you too; sir; you unpudent meddling scoundrel。'
〃'Scoundrel; sir!' said I。 'Yes;' replied the irate gentleman;
seizing me rudely by the collarand he would have choked me; but
that my blue satin stock and false collar gave way; and were left
in the hands of this GENTLEMAN。 'Help; landlord!' I loudly
exclaimed; adding; I believe; 'murder;' and other exclamations of
alarm。 In vain I appealed to the crowd; which by this time was
pretty considerable; they and the unfeeling post…boys only burst
into laughter; and called out; 'Give it him; Captain。' A struggle
ensued; in which I have no doubt I should have had the better; but
that the Captain; joining suddenly in the general and indecent
hilarity; which was doubled when I fell down; stopped and said;
'Well; Jims; I won't fight on my marriage…day。 Go into the tap;
Jims; and order a glass of brandy…and…water at my expenseand mind
I don't see your face to…morrow morning; or I'll make it more ugly
than it is。'
〃With these gross expressions and a cheer from the crowd; Mr。
Silvertop entered the inn。 I need not say that I did not partake
of his hospitality; and that personally I despise his insults。 I
make them known that they may call down the indignation of the body
of which I am a member; and throw myself on the sympathy of the
public; as a gentleman shamefully assaulted and insulted in the
discharge of a public duty。〃
〃Thus you've sean how the flower of my affeckshns was tawn out of
my busm; and my art was left bleading。 Hangelina! I forgive thee。
Mace thou be appy! If ever artfelt prayer for others wheel awailed
on i; the beink on womb you trampled addresses those subblygations
to Evn in your be1/2!
〃I went home like a maniack; after hearing the announcement of
Hangelina's departur。 She'd been gone twenty hours when I heard
the fatle noose。 Purshoot was vain。 Suppose I DID kitch her up;
they were married; and what could we do? This sensable remark I
made to Earl Bareacres; when that distragted nobleman igspawstulated
with me。 Er who was to have been my mother…in…lor; the Countiss; I
never from that momink sor agin。 My presnts; troosoes; juels; &c。;
were sent backwith the igsepshn of the diminds and Cashmear shawl;
which her Ladyship COODN'T FIND。 Ony it was whispered that at the
nex buthday she was seen with a shawl IGSACKLY OF THE SAME PATTN。
Let er keep it。
〃Southdown was phurius。 He came to me hafter the ewent; and wanted
me adwance 50 lb。; so that he might purshew his fewgitif sister
but I wasn't to be ad with that sort of chaughthere was no more
money for THAT famly。 So he went away; and gave huttrance to his
feelinx in a poem; which appeared (price 2 guineas) in the Bel
Assombly。
〃All the juilers; manchumakers; lacemen; coch bilders; apolstrers;
hors dealers; and weddencake makers came pawring in with their
bills; haggravating feelings already woondid beyond enjurants。
That madniss didn't seaze me that night was a mussy。 Fever; fewry;
and rayge rack'd my hagnized braind; and drove sleap from my
throbbink ilids。 Hall night I follered Hangelinar in imadganation
along the North Road。 I wented cusses & mallydickshuns on the
hinfamus Silvertop。 I kickd and rord in my unhuttarable whoe! I
seazed my pillar: I pitcht into it: pummld it; strangled it。 Ha
har! I thought it was Silvertop writhing in my Jint grasp; and taw
the hordayshis villing lim from lim in the terrible strenth of my
despare! 。 。 。 Let me drop a cutting over the memries of that
night。 When my boddy…suvnt came with my ot water in the mawning;
the livid copse in the charnill was not payler than the gashly De
la Pluche!
〃'Give me the Share…list; Mandeville;' I micanickly igsclaimed。 I
had not perused it for the past 3 days; my etention being engayged
elseware。 Hevns & huth!what was it I red there? What was it
that made me spring outabed as if sumbady had given me cold pig?I
red Rewin in that Share…listthe Pannick was in full hoparation!
。 。 。 。 。 。
Shall I describe that kitastrafy with which hall Hengland is
familliar? My & rifewses to cronnicle the misfortns which
lassarated my bleeding art in Hoctober last。 On the fust of
Hawgust where was I? Director of twenty…three Companies; older of
scrip hall at a primmium; and worth at least a quarter of a
millium。 On Lord Mare's day my Saint Helenas quotid at 14 pm; were
down at 1/2 discount; my Central Ichaboes at 3/8 discount; my Table
Mounting & Hottentot Grand Trunk; no where; my Bathershins and
Derrynane Beg; of which I'd bought 2000 for the account at 17
primmium; down to nix; my Juan Fernandez; my Great Central Oregons;
prostrit。 There was a momint when I thought I shouldn't be alive
to write my own tail!〃
(Here follow in Mr。 Plush's MS。 about twenty…four pages of railroad
calculations; which we pretermit。)
〃Those beests; Pump & Aldgate; once so cringing and umble; wrote me
a threatnen letter because I overdrew my account three…and…
sixpence: woodn't advance me five thousand on 25;000 worth of
scrip; kep me waiting 2 hours when I asked to see the house; and
then sent out Spout; the jewnior partner; saying they wouldn't
discount my paper; and implawed me to clothes my account。 I did: I
paid the three…and…six balliance; and never sor 'em mor。
〃The market fell daily。 The Rewin grew wusser and wusser。
Hagnies; Hagnies! it wasn't in the city aloan my misfortns came
upon me。 They beerded me in my own ome。 The biddle who kips watch
at the Halbany wodn keep misfortn out of my chambers; and Mrs。
Twiddler; of Pall Mall; and Mr。 Hunx; of Long Acre; put egsicution
into my apartmince; and swep off every stick of my furniture。
'Wardrobe & furniture of a man of fashion。' What an adwertisement
George Robins DID make of it; and what a crowd was collected to
laff at the prospick of my ruing! My chice plait; my seller of
wine; my pictursthat of myself included (it was Maryhann; bless
her! that bought it; unbeknown to me); allall went to the ammer。
That brootle Fitzwarren; my ex…vally; womb I met; fimilliarly slapt
me on the sholder; and said; 'Jeames; my boy; you'd best go into
suvvis aginn。'
〃I DID go into suvvisthe wust of all suvvicesI went into the
Queen's Bench Prison; and lay there a misrabble captif for 6
mortial weeks。 Misrabble shall I say? no; not misrabble
altogether; there was sunlike in the dunjing of the pore prisner。
I had visitors。 A cart used to drive hup to the prizn gates of
Saturdays; a washywoman's cart; with a fat old lady in it; and a
young one。 Who was that young one? Every one who has an art can
gess; it was my blue…eyed blushing hangel of a Mary Hann! 'Shall
we take him out in the linnen…basket; grandmamma?' Mary Hann said。
Bless her; she'd already learned to say grandmamma quite natral:
but I didn't go out that way; I went out by the door a whitewashed
man。 Ho; what a feast there was at Healing the day I came out!
I'd thirteen shillings left when I'd bought the gold ring。 I
wasn't prowd。 I turned the mangle for three weeks; and then Uncle
Bill said; 'Well; there IS some good in the feller;' and it was
agreed that we should marry。〃
The Plush manuscript finishes here: it is many weeks since we saw
the accomplished writer; and we have only just learned his fate。
We are happy