Paul Clifford

the tail of good purpos

o meanings which they never were meant to denote, were now and then distinguishable in the criticisms of the new Achilles; nevertheless, it was easy to attribute these peculiarities to an original turn of thinking; and the rise of the paper on the appearance of a series of articles upon contemporary authors, written by this "eminent hand," was so remarkable that fifty copies - a number perfectly unprecedented in the annals of "The Asinaeum"- were absolutely sold in one week; indeed, remembering the principle on which it was founded, one sturdy old writer declared that the

imity of his diction, it seemed doubtful whether he was a poet from Highgate or a philosopher from Konigsberg. At all events, the reviewer pres

o bring upon himself the sins of treachery and malappropriation than suffer his friend and former pupil to incur those of wastefulness and profusion. Contrary therefore to the agreement made with Paul, instead of giving that youth the half of those profits consequent on his brilliant lucubrations,

which such a process sometimes occasions in the best regulated heads, gave Paul what appeared to him the outline of a certain arti

whom you have introduced to the literary world, and who signs himself "Nobilitas," only five shillings an a

sir,

s moral infirmities, he conceived against that gentleman the most bitter resentment. He did not, however, vent his feelings at once upon the Scotsman - indeed, at that moment, as the sage was in a deep sleep under the table, it would have been to no purpose had he unbridled his indignation - but he resolved without loss of ti

on ended in Paul's making up a little bundle of such clothes, etc., as Dummie had succeeded in removing

s preceptor, and left it unsealed on the table. He then, upsetting the ink-bottle on MacGra

y waters that rolled onward, caring not a minnow for the numerous charming young ladies who have thought proper to drown themselves in those merciless waves, thereby depriving many a good

the neck and even the shoulders of the owner. The face was saturnine and strongly marked, but handsome and striking. There was a mixture of frippery and sternness in its expression - something between Madame Vestries and T. P. Cooke, or between "lovely Sally" and a "Captain bold of Halifax." The stature of this personage was remarkably tall, and his figure was stout, muscular, and we

our hero, this gentleman said, wi

you! Damme, but you look the worse for wea

"and is it Long Ned whom I behold? I am indeed glad to meet yo

hard by, and we may as well discuss matters over a pint of wine. You look cursed seedy, to be sure; but I can tell Bill the waiter - famous fellow, that Bill! - that you are one of my tenants, come to complain of my steward, who

d with the ingenious comparison of his friend, "if you are ashamed of

been poor once. 'Gad, I remember when I had not a dud to my back; and now, you see me - you see me, Paul! But come, 't is only through the streets you need separate from me. Keep a little behind,

ng steps of the coxcombical Mr. Pepper. That personage arrived at last at a small tavern, and arresting a waiter who was running across the passage into the coffee-room with a dish of hung-beef, demanded (no doubt from a pleasing anticipation of a similar pendulous catastrophe) a plate of the same exce

y saw the dashing Edward Pepper, Esquire, walking arm in arm with thee at Ranelagh or Vauxhall! Nay, man, never be downcast; if I laugh at thee, it is only to make thee lo

ing his late literary occupations, and the many extracts he had taken from "Gleanings of the Belles Lettres," in

iefs that haras

bitter is a sc

d, composing his features, "and just tell me

ering!" said Paul,

The boy's mad. Wha

g very slowly, "know, O very Long Ned! t

ng, then, that a cloud lowered over Paul's countenance, he went up to him with something like gravity, begged his pardon for his want of politeness, and desired him to wash away all unkindness in a bumper of port. Paul, whose excellent dispositions we have before had occasion to remark, was not impervi

ying aside that Asinaeum dignity which he had at first thought it incumbent on him to assume, he entertained Pepper with all the particulars of the life he had lately passed. He narrated to him his breach with Dame Lobkins, his agreement with MacGrawl

he espoused, and an useful assistant to himself. He had not, in his earlier acquaintance with Paul, when the youth was under the roof and the surveillance of the practised and wary Mrs. Lobkins, deemed it prudent to expose the exact nature of his own pursuits, and had contented himself by gr

ed with the paltry ambition of earning a few shillings a week and vilifying a parcel of poor devils in the what-d'ye-call it, with a hard name; whereas now, my good Paul, I trust I shall be able to open to your genius a new career, in which guineas are had for th

tions he possessed upon "the beauty of virtue,"- yet he could not but perceive that Mr. Pepper's insinuated proposition was far from being one which th

xton, was the best temper of the family; for all of us are a little inclined to be hot in the mouth. Well, my fine fellow, my father left me his blessing, and this devilish good head of hair. I lived for some years on my own resources. I found it a particularly inconve

pset you and your banquet; in other words (pardon my metaphor, dear Ned, in remembrance of the part I have lately maintained in 'The Asinaeum,' that most magnificent and metaphori

oys life. Consider, Paul, that though hanging is a bad fate, starving is a worse; wherefore fill your glass

d, that I cannot enter into your plans. And, as a token of my resolution, I shall drink no more, for my eyes alread

entreaty, on the part of his enterta

n be not in your bosom, 't is no use spending my breath in blowing at what only existed in my too flattering opinion of your qualities. So then, you propose to return to MacGrawler (the scurvy old cheat!), and pass the in

uds of that rascal MacGrawler. No! My present intention is to pay my old nurse a visit. It appears to me passing strange that though I have left her so many weeks, she has never relented enough to track me out, which one would think would

ht had now so firmly closed upon him. "Why, you surely don't mean, after having once tasted the joys of independence, to g

make it up with her, and get her permission to se

n the high-road - and

g regiment, or - Give me your advice on it! I fancy I have a great turn for the stage,

drunken scene to perfection; but you have no notion what a lamentable life it is to a man of any su

y] or not toby, th

get th

I have 'the actor's high ambition.' It is astonishing how my heart bea

rts are great wi

"since you are so fond of the play, what say yo

" crie

distinguishes the matured man of the world from the enthusiasti

f you remember, I owed you a guine

; pay me when you are richer. Nay, never be coy about it; debts of honour are not paid now as

en this delicate matter had been arranged - "Come," said Pepper,

ha

is a bang-up sort of a place; look at y

his perplexity, relieved him of it by telling him that he knew of an honest tradesman

ssibles, and a pepper-and-salt waistcoat. It is true, they were somewhat of the largest, for they had once belonged to no less a person than Long Ned himself; but Paul did not then regard those niceties of apparel,

and fair auburn, hung in profuse ringlets about her neck, shedding a softer shade upon a complexion in which the roses seemed just budding as it were into blush. Her eyes, large, blue, and rather languishing than brilliant, were curtained by the darkest lashes; her mouth seemed literally girt with smiles, so numberless were the dimples that every time the full, ripe, dewy lips were parted rose into sight; and the enchantment of the dimples was aided by two rows of teeth more dazzling than the richest pearls that ever glittered on a bride. But the chief charm of the face was its exceeding and touching air of innocence and girlish softness; you might have gazed forever upon that first unspeakable bloom, that all untouched and stainless d

iful face!" w

as well as the back?" whi

of his comrade, told him, very angrily, to find some other s

as knit into many a line and furrow; and in his eyes the light, though searching, was more sober and staid than became his years. A disagreeable expression played about the mouth; and the shape of the face, which was long and thin, considerably detracted from the prepossessing effect of a handsome aquiline nose, fine teeth, and a dark, manly, though sallow complexion.

very different motives from the other, followed

at his carriage was a few paces distant, but that it mi

man to his young charge; and she answering in the affirm

the gentleman, and brushed by him in passing. Presently a voice cried, "Stop thief!" and Long Ned, saying to Paul, "Shift for yourself, run!" darted from our hero's side into the crowd,

d the gentlema

y for the sake of the young lady refraining

on the other side of Paul; "this gentleman's watch. Please your honour,"

h it from my fob. The thief's gone; but we have at least the accomplice. I give him in strict charge to you, watchman; take the consequen

features of the case, he thought that an attempt to escape would not be an imprudent proceeding on his part; accordingly, after moving a few paces very quietly and very passively, he watched his opportunity, wrenched himself from the gripe of the gentleman on his left, and brought the hand thus released against the cheek of the gentleman on his right with so hearty a good will as to cause him to relinquish his hold, and retreat several paces towards the areas in a slanting position. But that roundabout