Great Britain -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction
But if some little errors of this kind might be attributable to the
Captain, on the other hand, when his wife was in the provinces, he was
the most attentive of husbands; made all her bargains, and received
every shilling before he would permit her to sing a note. Thus he
prevented her from being cheated, as a person of her easy temper
doubtless would have been, by designing managers and needy
concert-givers. They always travelled with four horses; and Walker was
adored in every one of the principal hotels in England. The waiters flew
at his bell. The chambermaids were afraid he was a sad naughty man, and
thought his wife no such great beauty; the landlords preferred him to
any duke. HE never looked at their bills, not he! In fact his income was
at least four thousand a year for some years of his life.
Master Woolsey Walker was put to Doctor Wapshot's seminary, whence,
after many disputes on the Doctor's part as to getting his half-year's
accounts paid, and after much complaint of ill-treatment on the little
boy's side, he was withdrawn, and placed under the care of the Reverend
Mr. Swishtail, at Turnham Green; where all his bills are paid by his
godfather, now the head of the firm of Woolsey and Co.
As a gentleman, Mr. Walker still declines to see him; but he has not,
as far as I have heard, paid the sums of money which he threatened to
refund; and, as he is seldom at home the worthy tailor can come to Green
Street at his leisure. He and Mrs. Crump, and Mrs. Walker often take the
omnibus to Brentford, and a cake with them to little Woolsey at school;
to whom the tailor says he will leave every shilling of his property.
The Walkers have no other children; but when she takes her airing in the
Park she always turns away at the sight of a low phaeton, in which sits
a woman with rouged cheeks, and a great number of overdressed children
and a French bonne, whose name, I am given to understand, is Madame
Dolores de Tras-os-Montes. Madame de Tras-os-Montes always puts a great
gold glass to her eye as the Ravenswing's carriage passes, and looks
into it with a sneer. The two coachmen used always to exchange queer
winks at each other in the ring, until Madame de Tras-os-Montes lately
adopted a tremendous chasseur, with huge whiskers and a green and gold
livery; since which time the formerly named gentlemen do not recognise
each other.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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