Paul Clifford — Volume 02Lytton, Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron
General
Paul Clifford — Volume 02
Lytton, Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron
Brigands and robbers -- Fiction
"Here," said he,--"here's a fine chap at my right hand" (the person thus
designated was a thin military-looking figure, in a shabby riding-frock,
and with a commanding, bold, aquiline countenance, a little the worse for
wear),--"here's a fine chap for you! Fighting Attie we calls him; he's a
devil on the road. 'Halt,--deliver,--must and shall,--can't and sha'
n't,--do as I bid you, or go to the devil!' That's all Fighting Attie's
palaver; and, 'Sdeath, it has a wonderful way of coming to the point! A
famous cull is my friend Attie,--an old soldier,--has seen the world, and
knows what is what; has lots of gumption, and devil a bit of blarney.
Howsomever, the highflyers does n't like him; and when he takes people's
money, he need not be quite so cross about it. Attie, let me introduce a
new pal to you." Paul made his bow.
"Stand at ease, man!" quoth the veteran, without taking the pipe from his
mouth.
Gentleman George then continued; and after pointing out four or five of
the company (among whom our hero discovered, to his surprise, his old
friends Mr. Eustace Fitzherbert and Mr. William Howard Russell), came, at
length, to one with a very red face and a lusty frame of body. "That
gentleman," said he, "is Scarlet Jem; a dangerous fellow for a press,
though he says he likes robbing alone now, for a general press is not
half such a good thing as it used to be formerly. You have no idea what
a hand at disguising himself Scarlet Jem is. He has an old wig which he
generally does business in; and you would not go for to know him again
when he conceals himself under the wig. Oh, he's a precious rogue, is
Scarlet Jem! As for the cove on t' other side," continued the host of
the Jolly Angler, pointing to Long Ned, "all I can say of him, good, bad,
or indifferent, is that he has an unkimmon fine head of hair; and now,
youngster, as you knows him, s'pose you goes and sits by him, and he'll
introduce you to the rest; for, split my wig!" (Gentleman George was a
bit of a swearer) "if I be n't tired; and so here's to your health; and
if so be as your name's Paul, may you always rob Peter [a portmanteau] in
order to pay Paul!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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