"I am, then. However, you've done with it now; and if you can't come the gentleman, you may as well come the rising genius. The self-educated dodge pays well just now; and after all, you've hooked his lordship--thank me for that. But you'll never hold him, you impudent dog, if you pull so hard on him"--He went on, putting his hands into his coat-tail pockets, and sticking himself in front of the fire, like the Delphic Pythoness upon the sacred tripod, in hopes, I suppose, of some oracular afflatus--"You will never hold him, I say, if you pull so hard on him. You ought to 'My lord' him for months yet, at least. You know, my good fellow, you must take every possible care to pick up what good breeding you can, if I take the trouble to put you in the way of good society, and tell you where my private birds'-nests are, like the green schoolboy some poet or other talks of." "He is no lord of mine," I answered, "in any sense of the word, and therefore I shall not call him so." "Upon my honour! here is a young gentleman who intends to rise in the world, and then commences by trying to walk through the first post he meets! Noodle! can't you do like me, and get out of the carts' way when they come by? If you intend to go ahead, you must just dodge in and out like a dog at a fair. 'She stoops to conquer' is my motto, and a precious good one too." "I have no wish to conquer Lord Lynedale, and so I shall not stoop to him." "I have, then; and to very good purpose, too. I am his whetstone, for polishing up that classical wit of his on, till he carries it into Parliament to astonish the country squires. He fancies himself a second Goethe, I hav'n't forgot his hitting at me, before a large supper party, with a certain epigram of that old turkeycock's about the whale having his unmentionable parasite--and the great man likewise. Whale, indeed! I bide my time, Alton, my boy--I bide my time; and then let your grand aristocrat look out! If he does not find the supposed whale-unmentionable a good stout holding harpoon, with a tough line to it, and a long one, it's a pity, Alton my boy!" And he burst into a coarse laugh, tossed himself down on the sofa, and re-lighted his meerschaum. "He seemed to me," I answered, "to have a peculiar courtesy and liberality of mind towards those below him in rank." "Oh! he had, had he? Now, I'll just put you up to a dodge. He intends to come the Mirabeau--fancies his mantle has fallen on him--prays before the fellow's bust, I believe, if one knew the truth, for a double portion of his spirit; and therefore it is a part of his game to ingratiate himself with all pot-boy-dom, while at heart he is as proud, exclusive an aristocrat, as ever wore nobleman's hat. At all events, you may get something out of him, if you play your cards well--or, rather, help me to play mine; for I consider him as my property, and you only as my aide-de-camp."