Evan Harrington -- Volume 1

t-on-the- Sea remained significantly closed, and it became known that death had taken Mr. Melchisedec Harrington, and struck one

the case of Mr. Melchisedec it was otherwise. This had been a grand man, despite his calling, and in the teeth of opprobrious epithets against his craft. To be both generally blamed, and generally liked, evinces a peculiar construction of mortal. Mr. Melchisedec, whom people in private called the great Mel, had been at once the sad dog of Lymport,

the house in the early morning and rush up the street to the doctor's, tossing her hands; and she, not disinclined to dilute her gr

octor!" he says, "I won

r touched him," he say

that the invalid was pretty deeply in Kilne's debt, it naturally assumed the form of a dishonest act on his part; but Sally scornfully dared a

the air. Sally then ru

ach of his neighbour Barnes, the butcher, to whom he confided what he had heard, and who ejaculated professionally, 'Obstinate a

es, as to a matte

ned by Grossby, the confectioner, wh

er take doctor's stuff'; and, nodding a

it,' muttered Kilne, wit

nd on your books

und, crying: 'Who t

as I am going to say, "Look here,-this won't do," he has me by the collar, and there's one of the regiments going to give a supper party, which he's to order; or the Admiral's wife wants the rece

Barnes, the butcher, 'is whe

sagacious head

something out of the f

' answered the

the business,' said Grossby, 'there's no

clothes for nothing, and make a

arnes, 'he won't take to tailoring whe

in his way, albeit a creditor, reverting to the first subject

ook on,' Ki

like a Marquis

tantly checked that unseemliness, and Kilne, as one who rises from the depth

entlemen? shall we adjour

, entertained any, the occasion and common interests to be discussed, advised him to waive them. In single file these mourners entered the publican's house, where Kilne, after summoning them from behind the bar, on the important question, what it shou

ow!' said Kilne; and was

shries. It was being above his condition. Horses! What's a tradesman got to do with horses? Unless he's retired! Then he's a gentleman, and can do as he likes. It'

maintained a rather dol

d there! I'm sorry he's gone, for one. He was as kind a hearted a man as ever breathed. And t

al king of credit. Only the account must never drivel. 'Stare aut crescere' appears to be his feeling on that point, and the departed Mr. Melchisedec undoubtedly understood him there; for the running on of the account looked deplorable and extraordinary now that Mr. Melchisedec was no longer in

common, for the Battle of Waterloo. I stood out against him on that. "No, no," says I, "I'll

e enjoyment of the princely disposition

across the bar, as much as to say, that in anythi

fair changed him a

s in the grain, you know. He couldn't change. He

ut in Portugal 'll want to be one, too; though he

ger toward the dead man's house. 'First, the young chap's to be sent into the Navy; then it's the Army; then he's to be a judge, and sit on c

an's fortune-properly directed, I say. But, I suppose, like father like son, he'll becoming the Marquis, too. He went to a gentl

one of 'em! and married we

ering that he had previously laughed knowingly when it was alluded to, pursued: 'O

s lady, at dinner, Squire Falco of Bursted, Lady Barrington, Admiral Combleman"-our admiral, that was; 'Mr. This and That', I forget their names-and other ladies and gentlemen whose acquaintance I was not honoured with." You know his way of talking. "And there was a goose on the table," he says; and, looking stern at me, "Don't laugh yet!" says he, like thunder. Well, he goes on: "Mr. George caught my eye across the table, and said, so as not to be heard by his uncle, 'If that bird was rampant, you would see your own arms, Marquis.'" And Mel replied, quietly for him to hear, "And as that bird is couchant, Mr. George, you had better look to your sauce." Couchant means squatting, you know. That's heraldry! Well, that wasn't bad sparring of Mel's. But, bless you! he was never taken aback, and the gentlefolks was glad enough to get him to sit down amongst 'em. So, says Mr. George, "I know you're a fire-eater, Marquis," and his dander was up, for he began marquising Mel, and doing the mock polite at such a rate, that, by-and-by, one of the ladies who didn't know Mel called him "my lord" and "his lordship." "And," says Mel, "I merely bowed to her, and took no notice." So that passed off: and there sits Mel telling his anecdotes, as grand as a king. And, by and-by, young Mr. George, who hadn't forgiven Mel, and had been pulling at the bottle pretty well, he sings out, "It 's Michaelmas! the death of the goose! and I should like to drink the Marquis's health!" and he drank it solemn. But, as far as I can make out, the women part

I desire," says Mel, smiling, "to have my exact measure taken everywhere; and if the Michaelmas bird is to be associated with me, I am sure I have no objection; all I can say is, that I cannot justify it by letters patent of nobility." That's how Mel put it. Do you think they thought worse of him? I warran

al they had just given ear to, agreed. And with a common voice of pra