"Heark ye, Blewitt. I know you to be one of the most infernal thieves
and scoundrels unhung. If you attempt to hector with me, I will cane
you; if you want more, I'll shoot you; if you meddle between me and
Dawkins, I will do both. I know your whole life, you miserable
swindler and coward. I know you have already won two hundred pounds of
this lad, and want all. I will have half, or you never shall have a
penny." It's quite true that master knew things; but how was the
wonder.
I couldn't see Mr. B.'s face during this dialogue, bein on the wrong
side of the door; but there was a considdrabble paws after thuse
complymints had passed between the two genlmn,--one walkin quickly up
and down the room--tother, angry and stupid, sittin down, and stampin
with his foot.
"Now listen to this, Mr. Blewitt," continues master at last; "if you're
quiet, you shall have half this fellow's money: but venture to win a
shilling from him in my absence, or without my consent, and you do it
at your peril."
"Well, well, Mr. Deuceace," cries Dick, "it's very hard, and, I must
say, not fair: the game was of my starting, and you've no right to
interfere with my friend."
"Mr. Blewitt, you are a fool! You professed yesterday not to know this
man, and I was obliged to find him out for myself. I should like to
know by what law of honour I am bound to give him up to you?"
It was charmin to hear this pair of raskles talkin about honour. I
declare I could have found it in my heart to warn young Dawkins of the
precious way in which these chaps were going to serve him. But if they
didn't know what honour was, I did; and never, never did I tell tails
about my masters when in their sarvice--out, in cors, the hobligation
is no longer binding.
Well, the nex day there was a gran dinner at our chambers. White soop,
turbit, and lobster sos; saddil of Scoch muttn, grous, and M'Arony;
wines, shampang, hock, madeiria, a bottle of poart, and ever so many of
clarrit. The compny presint was three; wiz., the Honrabble A. P.
Deuceace, R. Blewitt, and Mr. Dawkins, Exquires. My i, how we genlmn
in the kitchin did enjy it! Mr. Blewittes man eat so much grous (when
it was brot out of the parlor), that I reely thought he would be sik;
Mr. Dawkinses genlmn (who was only abowt 13 years of age) grew so il
with M'Arony and plumb-puddn, so to be obleeged to take sefral of Mr.
D.'s pils, which one-half kild him. But this is all promiscuous: I
an't talkin of the survants now, but the masters.
Would you bleeve it? After dinner (and praps 8 bottles of wine betwin
the 3) the genlmn sat down to éarty. It's a game where only 2 plays,
and where, in coarse, when there's ony 3, one looks on.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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