“Look to yourself, you foreign hound!” he said, his face becoming livid,
and his lips receding from his mouth so as to leave his wolf-fangs bare
as before. “Look to yourself. You broke my sword after luring me on to
be made a fool of for your sport. Look to yourself!”
“Turn that rascal into the street, John,” cried Goldsmith, and John
bustled forward. There was fighting in the air. If it came to blows he
flattered himself that he could give an interesting exhibition of his
powers--not quite so showy, perhaps, as that given by the Italian, but
one which he was certain was more English in its style.
“No one shall lay a hand on me,” said Jackson. “Do you fancy that I am
anxious to remain in such a company?”
“Come, sir; you are in my charge, now,” said John, hustling him to the
door. “Come--out with you--sharp!”
In the room they heard the sound of the man descending the stairs slowly
and painfully. They became aware of his pause in the lobby below to put
on the coat which John had given to him, and a moment later they saw him
walk in the direction of the Temple lodge.
Then Goldsmith turned to Signor Nicolo, who was examining one of the
prints that Hogarth had presented to his early friend, who had hung them
on his wall.
“You came at an opportune moment, my friend,” said he. “You have not
only saved my life, you have afforded me such entertainment as I never
have known before. Sir, you are certainly the greatest living master of
your art.”
“The best swordsman is the best patriot,” said Baretti.
“That is why so many of your countrymen live in England,” said
Goldsmith.
“Alas! yes,” said Nicolo. “Happily you Englishmen are not good patriots,
or you would not be able to live in England.”
“I am not an Englishman,” said Goldsmith. “I am an Irish patriot, and
therefore I find it more convenient to live out of Ireland. Perhaps it
is not good patriotism to say, as I do, 'Better to live in England than
to starve in Ireland.' And talking of starving, sirs, reminds me that my
dinner hour is nigh. What say you, Signor Nicolo? What say you, Baretti?
Will you honour me with your company to dinner at the Crown and Anchor
an hour hence? We shall chat over the old days at Pisa and the prospects
of the Figli della Torre, Signor Nicolo. We cannot stay here, for it
will take my servant and Mrs. Ginger a good two hours to sweep up the
fragments of that rascal's garments. Lord! what a patchwork quilt Dr.
Johnson's friend Mrs. Williams could make if she were nigh.”
“Patchwork should not only be made, it should be used by the blind,”
said Baretti. “Touching the dinner you so hospitably propose, I have no
engagement for to-day, and I dare swear that Nicolo has none either.”
“He has taken part in one engagement, at least,” said Goldsmith,
“And I am now at your service,” said the fencing-master.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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