The Flower of the Flock, Volume 3 (of 3)Egan, Pierce
General
The Flower of the Flock, Volume 3 (of 3)
Egan, Pierce
Fiction
A tremendous uproar ensued. Everybody in an agony of fright made an
effort to get out of the doorway at the same moment, and a jam resulted.
Mr. Chewkle actively employed himself upon the body of fugitives
with his chair, until the centre was forced, and the two sides burst
outwards, leaving Chewkle in triumph to commit mad riot upon everything
breakable within the room, until he fell in horrible convulsions upon
the ground, after successive efforts to effect a breach through the wall
with his head.
It was not until he remained perfectly motionless, giving no sign of
life, save by a dreadful stertorous breathing, that it entered into the
head of the frantically amazed landlord to send for a doctor.
Upon the arrival of that skilled personage the truth was revealed, and
Mr. Chewkle was placed in bed; and as, on examining his pockets, a
good round sum was found, a nurse was provided to attend on him. The
landlord, upon considerations of safety as he suggested, took possession
of the money, leaving the empty purse in Chewkle’s pocket, and did not
forget immediately afterwards to take an inventory of the damage done by
his infuriated guest.
Mr. Chewkle, during his illness, raved about Mr. Grahame and Mr. Wilton;
frequently acting as though he had the throat of the latter gentleman
compressed between his hands and was squeezing life out. He called on
Mr. Grahame to pay him well for “the job,” and threatened, unless he
received “more bunce,” that he would provide him with a hempen collar at
Newgate.
All these ravings were treated as such, and taken no heed of by those
who heard them, though they were remembered afterwards.
Mr. Chewkle, after a few days, became conscious of his position; within
a week he had a rough notion of the havoc he had committed, from the
landlord, who dropped in to see how he was getting on.
The devil’s money never does anyone any good.
Mr. Chewkle reflected upon the bill he should have to pay for breakage,
for attendance, and lodging at the inn, for the doctor’s professional
services, and for “extras,” the extent of which he could not foresee.
As a principle he determined not to pay a farthing for one solitary
item.
How to get out of it?
It seemed strange to him that he had not been asked for any money; that
was a fact which, though singular, was advantageous and cheering, and he
determined if a proposition to pay, as he went on, should be made by the
landlord, that he would show him his gold and silver, but make an excuse
for not parting with a shilling until he was convalescent.
In less than a fortnight he felt himself to be so. The landlord seemed
still good-humoured and confiding--most confiding--and Chewkle, by his
boasts and promises, endeavoured to keep him so.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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