Jacob accepted Lord Mowbray’s apologies, but could not by any means be
prevailed upon to accept from him any present or remuneration. He
seemed willing to forgive, but not to trust Lord Mowbray. All trace of
resentment was cleared from his countenance, but no condescension of
his lordship could move Jacob to throw off his reserve beyond a certain
point. He conquered aversion, but he would not pretend to like. Mr.
Montenero came into the room while we were speaking, and I presented
Lord Mowbray to him. There was as marked a difference as politeness
would allow in Mr. Montenero’s manner towards his lordship and towards
me, which I justly attributed to Jacob’s previous representations. We
looked at the pictures, and talked, and loitered, but I turned my eyes
in vain to the door every time it opened--no Miss Montenero appeared.
I was so much preoccupied with my object that I was silent, and left
Mowbray to make his own way, which no one was more capable of doing. In
a few minutes he was in full conversation. He went over again, without
my attending to it, his _pièce justificative_ about the riot at
Gibraltar, and Jacob, and the Manessas; and between the fits of my
reverie, I perceived Mowbray was talking of the Due de Crillon and
General Elliot, and red-hot balls; but I took no interest in the
conversation, till I heard him speak of an officers’ ball at Gibraltar,
and of dancing with a Jewess. The very night he had first landed at
Gibraltar, there happened to be a ball to which he went with a friend,
who was also just landed, and a stranger. It was the custom to draw lots
for partners. His friend, a true-born Englishman, took fright at the
foreign-sounding name of the lady who fell to his lot--Mowbray changed
tickets with him, and had, he said, great reason to rejoice. The lady
with the foreign name was a Jewess, the handsomest, the most graceful,
the most agreeable woman in the room. He was the envy of every man,
and especially of his poor friend, who too late repented his rash
renunciation of his ticket. Lord Mowbray, by several other slight
anecdotes, which he introduced with happy effect, contrived to please
Mr. Montenero; and if any unfavourable prepossession had existed against
him, it was, I thought, completely removed. For my own part, I was
delighted with his presence of mind in recollecting all that was best
worth seeing in London, and arranging parties in which we could have the
honour of attending Miss Montenero, and the pleasure of being of some
use to her.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account