Biographical fiction; Historical fiction; Short stories, English
They then went down _St. Martin’s Lane_ but could find never a Sword
worth a Groat; then on Mr. Hanson went as far as _Charing Cross_ and
then into a Cutler’s and bestowed ten Shillings on a Sword for a
Servant, which could not be ready till Evening, however.
Mr. Hanson said he would call for it when he came back from the Play
that night and took the Polander back to M. Flaubert’s Academy, where
the Younger Count, a very Gay and Beautiful Gentleman, was learning to
ride the Great Horse.
The Polander Paid for his Lodging and waited in the Academy feeling sad
for loneliness till Mr. Hanson came back from the Theatre and took him
again to the Cutler’s; but the Sword was by no means Ready.
“’Tis strange,” cried the Governor, “that a Gentleman cannot get a
Little Sword for himself in a whole Afternoon!”
“Well, sir,” said the Cutler, “pray do not be Impatient. I will send
the Sword.”
They then left the shop and went towards _St. Martin’s Lane_; it was
now Snowing and a Great Volume of Wind abroad.
When they reached my Lord’s Lodging they found him still in his Gown
and Night Cap sitting over the fire and he looked like a sick man save
for the great Light and Glitter in his Eyes.
He asked where his Brother was.
“At his Grace of Richmond’s,” said Mr. Hanson; “We were at the Play
together and I have ordered the Broadsword which will come anon.”
They were talking without any Regard to the Polander who stood stiff in
his New Coat, Longing to see Captain Vratz and to go to the horses he
was to look after (and he wondered where the Stables might be as this
was too Ill a House to have any). Now Mr. Hanson went up to my Lord in
moved fashion.
“Think of the Consequences of this, Count Charles!” he said.
My Lord looked up in a kind of Passion.
“He puts Words on me that are no wise to be borne!”
“Is it for the words he Used or for the sake of the Red Haired Girl you
saw at the Hague?” asked Mr. Hanson, biting the end Curls of his Peruke.
“He called me a Hector,” said my Lord, “and Laughed at my Horse–and, by
God, you shall leave the Lady Ogle Out of this!”
“Your Lordship has not left her Out,” answered Mr. Hanson, “for you bid
me discover if you would have any Hopes of her if you got rid of her
Husband—”
At this Point the Count bid the Polander go down to the Kitchens of the
house and dine, and he added that in this place he was known as Carlo
Cuski, and not by his Real Name.
Thereupon the Polander went; there was a Man and a Maid and a Boy in
the Kitchen who had no Language but _English_, so the Count’s man ate
his meat in Silence and was presently going to the place appointed to
him to sleep in when a young Gentleman, very finely Dressed in Blue,
came down, and speaking _German_, bade him Come up to the Count, which
he did and found to his vast Joy, Captain Vratz with his Lordship.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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