The Memoirs of Mr. Charles J. YellowplushThackeray, William Makepeace
General
The Memoirs of Mr. Charles J. Yellowplush
Thackeray, William Makepeace
Didactic fiction; England -- Fiction; Household employees -- Fiction; Humorous stories; Master and servant -- Fiction
Well, the nex day there was a gran dinner at our chambers. White soop,
turbit, and lobstir sos; saddil of Scoch muttn, grous, and M'Arony;
wines, shampang, hock, maderia, a bottle of poart, and ever so many
of clarrit. The compny presint was three; wiz., the Honrabble A. P.
Deuceace, R. Blewitt, and Mr. Dawkins, Exquires. My i, how we genlmn in
the kitchin did enjy it. Mr. Blewittes man eat so much grous (when it
was brot out of the parlor), that I reely thought he would be sik; Mr.
Dawkinses genlmn (who was only abowt 13 years of age) grew so il with
M'Arony and plumb-puddn, as to be obleeged to take sefral of Mr. D's.
pils, which 1/2 kild him. But this is all promiscuous: I an't talkin of
the survants now, but the masters.
Would you bleeve it? After dinner and praps 8 bottles of wine between
the 3, the genlm sat down to ecarty. It's a game where only 2 plays, and
where, in coarse, when there's only 3, one looks on.
Fust, they playd crown pints, and a pound the bett. At this game they
were wonderful equill; and about supper-time (when grilled am, more
shampang, devld biskits, and other things, was brot in) the play stood
thus: Mr. Dawkins had won 2 pounds; Mr. Blewitt 30 shillings; the
Honrabble Mr. Deuceace having lost 3L. l0s. After the devvle and the
shampang the play was a little higher. Now it was pound pints, and five
pound the bet. I thought, to be sure, after hearing the complymints
between Blewitt and master in the morning, that now poor Dawkins's time
was come.
Not so: Dawkins won always, Mr. B. betting on his play, and giving him
the very best of advice. At the end of the evening (which was abowt five
o'clock the nex morning) they stopt. Master was counting up the skore on
a card.
“Blewitt,” says he, “I've been unlucky. I owe you, let me see--yes,
five-and-forty pounds?”
“Five-and-forty,” says Blewitt, “and no mistake!”
“I will give you a cheque,” says the honrabble genlmn.
“Oh! don't mention it, my dear sir!” But master got a grate sheet
of paper, and drew him a check on Messeers. Pump, Algit and Co., his
bankers.
“Now,” says master, “I've got to settle with you, my dear Mr. Dawkins.
If you had backd your luck, I should have owed you a very handsome sum
of money. Voyons, thirteen points at a pound--it is easy to calculate;”
and drawin out his puss, he clinked over the table 13 goolden suverings,
which shon till they made my eyes wink.
So did pore Dawkinses, as he put out his hand, all trembling, and drew
them in.
“Let me say,” added master, “let me say (and I've had some little
experience), that you are the very best ecarte player with whom I ever
sat down.”
Dawkinses eyes glissened as he put the money up, and said, “Law,
Deuceace, you flatter me.”
FLATTER him! I should think he did. It was the very think which master
ment.
“But mind you, Dawkins,” continyoud he, “I must have my revenge; for I'm
ruined--positively ruined by your luck.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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