The History of Samuel Titmarsh and the Great Hoggarty DiamondThackeray, William Makepeace
General
The History of Samuel Titmarsh and the Great Hoggarty Diamond
Thackeray, William Makepeace
English fiction -- 19th century; Great Britain -- Social life and customs -- Fiction
"Pooh, pooh! _he's_ all right," says Aminadab; "let _him_ alone."
"In for _what_?" shouted I, quite amazed. "Why, sir, you arrested me for
90_l_."
"Yes, but you are in for half a million,--you know you are. _Them_ debts
I don't count--them paltry tradesmen's accounts. I mean Brough's
business. It's an ugly one; but you'll get through it. We all know you;
and I lay my life that when you come through the court, Mrs. Titmarsh has
got a handsome thing laid by."
"Mrs. Titmarsh has a small property," says I. "What then?"
The three gentlemen burst into a loud laugh, said I was a "rum chap"--a
"downy cove," and made other remarks which I could not understand then;
but the meaning of which I have since comprehended, for they took me to
be a great rascal, I am sorry to say, and supposed that I had robbed the
I. W. D. Association, and, in order to make my money secure, settled it
on my wife.
It was in the midst of this conversation that, as I said, Gus came in;
and whew! when he saw what was going on, he gave _such_ a whistle!
"Herr von Joel, by Jove!" says Aminadab. At which all laughed.
"Sit down," says Mr. B.,--"sit down, and wet your whistle, my piper! I
say, egad! you're the piper that played before Moses! Had you there,
Dab. Dab, get a fresh bottle of Burgundy for Mr. Hoskins." And before
he knew where he was, there was Gus for the first time in his life
drinking Clos-Vougeot. Gus said he had never tasted Bergamy before, at
which the bailiff sneered, and told him the name of the wine.
"_Old Clo_! What?" says Gus; and we laughed: but the Hebrew gents did
not this time.
"Come, come, sir!" says Mr. Aminadab's friend, "ve're all shentlemen
here, and shentlemen never makish reflexunsh upon other gentlemen'sh
pershuashunsh."
After this feast was concluded, Gus and I retired to my room to consult
about my affairs. With regard to the responsibility incurred as a
shareholder in the West Diddlesex, I was not uneasy; for though the
matter might cause me a little trouble at first, I knew I was not a
shareholder; that the shares were scrip shares, making the dividend
payable to the bearer; and my aunt had called back her shares, and
consequently I was free. But it was very unpleasant to me to consider
that I was in debt nearly a hundred pounds to tradesmen, chiefly of Mrs.
Hoggarty's recommendation; and as she had promised to be answerable for
their bills, I determined to send her a letter reminding her of her
promise, and begging her at the same time to relieve me from Mr. Von
Stiltz's debt, for which I was arrested: and which was incurred not
certainly at her desire, but at Mr. Brough's; and would never have been
incurred by me but at the absolute demand of that gentleman.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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