"I waited at the pier till the packet was about two miles off, and then
walked away from the crowd of people who were bothering me with advice
how to proceed, so that I might join my mistress at Calais. I returned
to the hotel for a portion of my clothes which I had not sent on board
of the packet, but had left in charge of the boots, and then sat down in
the tap to reflect upon what I should do. My first object was to get
rid of my sugar-loaf buttons, for I hated livery, Miss Valerie; perhaps
it was pride, but I could not help it. I walked out till I came to a
slop-seller's, as they call them at seaports, and went in; there was
nothing hanging up but seamen's clothes, and on reflection, I thought I
could not do better than to dress as a sailor; so I told the man that I
wanted a suit of sailor's clothes.
"`You want to go to sea, I suppose,' said the man, not guessing exactly
right, considering that I just refused to embark.
"However, I bargained first for a complete suit, and then sold him my
liveries, exchanging my dress in the back parlour. I then returned to
the tap, obtained my other clothes, and as soon as the coach started,
got outside and arrived in London. I called upon you at this house, and
found that you were in the country, and then I resolved that I would go
down to Culverwood Hall."
"And now you must leave off, Lionel, for the present," said I, "for I
must go out with Lady M--. Come to-morrow, early, and I shall have
leisure to hear the rest of your story."
The following morning Lionel returned and resumed his history.
"Miss Valerie, little things often give you more trouble than greater;
and I had more difficulty to find out where Culverwood Hall was than you
may imagine. I asked many at the inn where I put up, but no one could
tell me, and at such places I was not likely to find any book which I
could refer to. I went to the coach offices and asked what coaches
started for Essex, and the reply was, `Where did I want to go?' and,
when I said Culverwood Hall, no one could tell me by which coach I was
to go, or which town it was near. At last, I did find out from the
porter of the Saracen's Head, who had taken in parcels with that
address, and who went to the coachman, who said that his coach passed
within a mile of Sir Alexander Moystyn's, who lived there. I never knew
her ladyship's maiden name before. I took my place by the coach, for I
had gone to the banker's in Fleet Street, and received the money for my
check, and started the next morning at three o'clock.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account