Beau Brocade: A RomanceOrczy, Emmuska Orczy, Baroness
History
Beau Brocade: A Romance
Orczy, Emmuska Orczy, Baroness
Brigands and robbers -- Fiction; Great Britain -- History -- 18th century -- Fiction; Historical fiction
Before Mr Inch stood no less a person than Master Mittachip,
attorney-at-law. Master Mittachip desired to speak with Squire West,
and the pompous beadle was in the proud position of standing between
this presumptuous desire and the supreme Majesty of the Law.
"Them’s my orders, sir," he said, with all the solemnity which this
extraordinary event demanded. "Them’s my orders. Squire West’s own
orders. ’Inch,’ he says to me—my name being Jeremiah Inch, sir—’Inch,’
he says, ’the odours which perambulate the court-room’—and mind ye, sir,
he didn’t use such polite language either—’the odours is more than I can
endurate this hot morning!’ As a matter of fact, sir, truth compellates
me to state that Squire West’s own words were: ’Inch, this room stinks
like hell! too many sweating yokels about!’ Then he gave me his orders:
’The room is too full as it is, don’t admit anyone else, on any pretext
or cause whatsoever.’"
Master Mittachip had made various misguided efforts to interrupt Mr
Inch’s wonderful flow of eloquence. It was only when the worthy beadle
paused to take breath, that the attorney got in a word edgewise.
"Harkee, my good man..." he began impatiently.
"I am extra-ordinarily grieved, sir," interrupted Master Inch, who had
not nearly finished, "taking into consideration that I am somewhat
dubersome, whether what his Honour said about the odours could apply
individually to you, but orders is orders, sir, and the Squire as a
legal luminosity must be obeyed in all things."
Mr Inch heaved a deep sigh of satisfaction. It was not often that he
had the opportunity of showing off his marvellous eloquence and
wonderful flow of language before so distinguished a gentleman as Master
Mittachip, attorney-at-law. But the latter seemed not to appreciate the
elegance of the worthy beadle’s diction; on the contrary, he had
throughout shown signs of the greatest impatience, and now, directly Mr
Inch heaved this one sigh, Master Mittachip produced a silver
half-crown, and toying with it, in apparent indifference, said
significantly,—
"I am sure, friend Beadle, that if you were to acquaint Squire West that
his Honour, Sir Humphrey Challoner, desired to speak with him..."
Mr Inch stroked his fat, clean-shaven chin, and eyed the silver
half-crown with an anxious air.
"Ah! perhaps!" he suggested with as much dignity as the new circumstance
allowed, "perhaps if I did so far contravene my orders..."
"I feel sure that Sir Humphrey would see fit to reward you," suggested
the attorney, still idly fingering that tempting half-crown.
But Master Inch was still "dubersome."
"But then, you understand," he said, "it is against the regulations that
I should vacuate my post until after the sitting is over ... so..."
"Sir Humphrey Challoner is partaking of breakfast at the Royal George,
Master Inch, he would wish Squire West to know that he’ll attend on him
here in half an hour."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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