“Well,” said he “it is only a French woman who has outwitted a hundred
Italians.”
“No,” pursued his informant, “it is your valour which has extricated
her from an ugly scrape. Away, and celebrate the wedding; for I much
misinterpret the looks of the prince and lady if that be not what you
are driving at.”
[EDINBURGH LITERARY JOURNAL.]
[Illustration: 294]
TRINITY COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE. FORTY YEARS AGO.
It was a lovely morning; a remittance had arrived in the very nick of
time; my two horses were in excellent condition; and I resolved, with a
college chum, to put in execution a long concerted scheme of driving to
London, Tandem. We sent our horses forward, got others at Cambridge, and
tossing Algebra and Anarcharsis “to the dogs” started in high spirits.
We ran up to London in style--went ball-pitch to the play--and after a
quiet breakfast at the St. James’s, set out with my own horses upon a
dashing drive through the west end of the town. We were turning down the
Haymarket, when whom, to my utter horror and consternation, should I
see crossing to meet us, but my old warmhearted, but severe and peppery
uncle, Sir Thomas.
[Illustration: 297]
To escape was impossible.--A cart before, and two carriages behind, made
us stationary; and I mentally resigned all idea of ever succeeding to
his five thousand per annum. Up he came. “What! can I believe my eyes?
George? what the-do you here? Tandem too, by---- (I leave blanks for the
significant accompaniments which dropped from his mouth like pearls, and
rubies in the fairy tale, when he was in a passion.) I have it, thought
I, as an idea crossed my mind which I resolved to follow. I looked
right and left, as if it was not possible it could be me he was
addressing.--“What! you don’t know me, you young dog? Don’t you know
your uncle? Why, Sir, in the name of common sense--Pshaw! you’ve done
with that. Why in ------ name a’nt you at Cambridge?”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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