The Astonishing History of Troy TownQuiller-Couch, Arthur
General
The Astonishing History of Troy Town
Quiller-Couch, Arthur
Cornwall (England : County) -- Fiction
"Beer, sir--beer; fust prize for top score o' beer drunk down to the
'Man-o'-War' sence fust o' November last. He's a wunner for beer, es
Maaster Sam," pursued the relentless urchin, who by this time had
forgotten his tears. "Hunderd an' nine gallons, sir, an' Bill Odgers
so jallous as fire--says he'd ha' won et same as he did last time,
on'y Maaster Sam's got the longer purse--offered to fight 'un, an'
the wuss man to pay for both nex' time."
Mr. Goodwyn-Sandys turned aside to conceal a smile. Lawyer Pellow
rubbed his chin. The Admiral stamped.
"Take it away!"
"Where be I to take it to, plaise, sir?"
"Take it away--anywhere; take it to the devil!"
But worse remained for the little man. During this conversation
there had come unperceived up the road a gentleman of mild
appearance, dressed in black, and carrying under his arm a large
parcel wrapped about with whitey-brown paper.
The new-comer, who was indeed our friend Mr. Fogo, now advanced
towards the Admiral with a bow.
"Admiral Buzza, I believe?"
The Admiral turned and faced the speaker; his jaw fell like a signal
flag; but he drew himself up with fine self-repression.
"Sir, I am Admiral Buzza."
"I have come," said Mr. Fogo, quietly pulling the pins out of his
parcel, "to restore what I believe is your property (Will somebody
oblige me by holding this pin? Thank you), and at the same time to
apologise for the circumstances under which it came into my hands.
(Dear me, what a number of pins, to be sure!) I have done what lay in
my power with a clothes-brush and emery-powder to restore it to its
pristine brilliance. The treatment (That is the last, I think) has
not, I am bound to admit, answered my expectations; its result,
however, is as you see."
Here Mr. Fogo withdrew the wrapper and with a pleasant smile held
out--a cocked hat.
The Admiral, purple with fury, bounced back like a shot on a red-hot
shovel; stared; tried to speak, but could not; gulped; tried again;
and finally, shaking his fist in Mr. Fogo's face, flung into the
house and slammed the front door.
The cause of this transport turned a pair of bewildered spectacles on
the others, and found them convulsed with unseemly mirth. He singled
out the Honourable Frederic, and addressed himself to that gentleman.
"I have not the pleasure to be acquainted with you, sir; but if you
can supply me with any reason for this display of temper, believe
me--"
"My name is Goodwyn-Sandys, sir, at your--"
"What!"
Mr. Fogo dropped the cocked hat and sat down suddenly among the
cakes.
"Are you," he gasped--"are you Mr. Goodwyn-Sandys--the Honourable
Frederic Augustus Hythe Good--? Heavens!"
"No, sir," said the Honourable Frederic, who had grown a thought
pale. "Good _wyn_, sir--Goodwyn-Sandys. What then?"
"I never saw your face before," murmured Mr. Fogo faintly.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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