Rodney Stone

nviction that he was already beginning to ask himself whether he could make anything of me, or whether he had been betrayed int

you, nephew?" h

ir, a l

ne, I sho

s,

you are not examined in Greek roots in polite society, which is lucky for some of us. It is as well just to have a tag or two of Horace or Virgil: 'sub tegmine fagi,' or 'habet f?num in cornu,' which gi

r not,

open a door, to enter a room, to present a snuff-box, raising the lid with the forefinger of the hand in which you hold it. You must acquire the bow for a man, with its necessary touch of dignity, and that f

ich he asked the question, as if it

aught cold through a mistake of his valet, who sent him out on a bitter winter day with a thin Sèvres china box instead of a thick tortoiseshell. That brought him out of the ruck, you see, and people remember him. Even some small characteristic, such as having an apricot tart on your sideboard all the year round, or putting your candle out at night b

t be my own very great discom

once. My cravat came undone in the street, and I actually walked from Carlton House to Watier's in Bruton Street with the two ends hanging loose. Do you suppose it shook my position? The same evening there were dozens of young blo

ed that I

day, which would otherwise be wasted, you may hope to have excellent cravats in middle life. The whole knack

diousness of taste, but wilfully driven to grotesque lengths for the very reason which made him recommend me also to develop some peculiarity of my own. When I thought of the way in which he had spoken of his unhappy

ell us as we drew up in front of the Crown hotel. A swarm of ostlers and grooms had rushed out t

cried, "you ma

The seat behind was unoc

d most certainly taken his seat there at Friar's Oak, and from there on we had come with

dlord? Here, Coppinger, send your best man back to Friar's Oak as fast as his horse can go, to find news of

ible. My heart was down in the soles of my little silver-buckled shoes now that I had the immediate prospect of meeting so great and terrible a person as the Prince of Wales. I had seen his flaring yellow barouche flying through Friar's Oak many a time, and had halloaed and waved my hat with the others as

claim upon him, but he has ruined his tradesmen by refusing to pay his just debts. He is affectionate to casual acquaintances, but he dislikes his father, loathes his mother, and is not on speaking terms with his wife. He claims to be the first gentleman of England, but the gentlemen of England have responded by blackballing his friends at their clubs, and by warning him off from Newmarket under suspicion of having tampered with a horse. He spends his days in uttering noble sentiments, and contradicting them by ignoble actio

flew from their heads as we passed. He took little notice of these greetings, save to give a nod to one, or to slightly raise his forefinger to another. It chanced, however, that as we turned into the Pavilion Grounds, we met a magnificent team of four coal-black hor

e! Good drive d

ed and smile

ve my light curricle and two new mares-

f my team of blacks

ink of them? Ain't they damnatio

he Sussex clay. Too thick about the

language as I had never heard from a man's lips before. "We'd start with our swingle-bars touchi

s right!" cried the man.

, Ja

e nine. You can follow as the clock strikes. I've double the horses and double the weight. If you so much as see me

s. As I followed, I saw the woman take the reins, while the man looked after us,

land. There isn't a professional on the road that can handle either his tongue or hi

dful to hear

he amuses the Prince. Now, nephew, keep close at my

ed to look assured, though my heart was beating thin and fast. Within there was a high and large hall, ornamented with Eastern decorations, which harmonized with the domes and minarets of the exterior. A

is voice as one who speaks of weighty measures. "Es is

, "and see that the sauces are a little bet

vol-au-vent dat is worth one hundred tousand pound. Ten per cent., and double to be repaid when de Royal pap

his news to some new-comer. "That's the Prince's famous cook, nephew. He has not his eq

exclaimed, i

surprise

ght that some respe

lined his li

uch them," he whispered. "Ah,

, Sir Charles," said t

ne wit

ancis. He said h

shall go

nd scarlet in arabesque designs gleamed upon the walls, with gilt dragons and monsters writhing along cornices and out of corners. Look where I would, on panel or ceiling, a score of mirrors flashed

ining in upon them through a side-window, and I can see the three faces now-one in the dusk, one in the light, and one cut across by the shadow. Of those at the sides, I recall the reddish nose and dark, flashing eyes of the one,

blooded way, with laughing eyes and pouting, sensitive lips. His nose was turned upwards, which increased the good-humoured effect of his countenance at the expense of its dignity. His cheeks were pale and sodden, like those of a ma

d the threshold, and then suddenly the smile faded from his face, and his e

ancing round we saw that a man in a brown coat and scratch wig had followed so closely at our heels, that the footmen had let him pass under the imp

"What, am I to be dunned in my own private room? Where's Me

Highness, but I must have the money-or

d to use. I pay my debts in my own time, and I'm not

e little man, and as the footman led him out we could hear him, amidst sh

r a furniture man," said

Tregellis, but you must really be more careful what you bring in upon your skirts. It was only yesterday that we had an infernal Dutchman here howling about

d now if the matter were fairly put before t

h an energy of hatred that one would scarce

whilst I can't get a hundred thousand out of them. And look at all they've done for my brothers! York is Commander-in-Chief. Clarence is Admiral. What am I? Colonel of a damned drago

and on my sleeve a

id he. "He is coming with me to London, and I thought it

h a good-natured smile, patting me in a friendly

sir,"

rk my words, Mr. Rodney Stone, you should honour the King, lov

cursing the House of Commons, I could scarce keep from

y and respected life. What is your father, Mr. Stone? Royal Navy! Well, it is a glorious service. I have had

idan and Francis exchanged gla

dence in my life! It would take a man of less mettle than me to stand it. Out I went in my little cock-boa

, sir?" cried Francis, who appeared

my starboard in the other. Up we came to the big Frenchman, took her fire, and scraped the paint off her before we let drive. But it was no use. By George, gentlemen, our balls just stuck in her timbers like stones in a mud wall. She ha

t the time," said

ouch for i

ing heard your High

had him at my sword-point for forty minutes at Angelo's. He was one of the best blades in Europe, but I was a little too supple in the wrist for him. 'I thank God there w

y. "But I have taken to tennis now instead. A painful incident

lled yo

is not to express it. It was me-like the hide on a horse. I've had sixty from him since, but he could never

Tregellis!" c

should not come into Brookes's smelling of the stables. I fired first, and missed. He fired, and I shrieked in despair. 'He's hit! A surgeon! A surgeon!' they cried. 'A tailo

hing of humour in their exaggeration, Francis tended always to ill-nature, and the Prince to self-glorification. Finally, the conversation turned to music-I am not sure that my uncle did not artfully bring it there, and the Prince, hearing from him of my tastes, would have it that I should then and there sit down at t

hen I speak of music. Cramer, of the Opera, said only the other day that he had rather hand his

seen a countenance in which the angel and the devil were more obviously wedded. Above, was the high, broad forehead of the philosopher, with keen, humorous eyes looking out from under thick, strong brows. Below, was the heavy jowl of the sensualist curving in a broad crease over his cravat. That brow was the brow of the public Charles Fox, the thinker, the philanthropist, the man who rallied and led the Lib

o shake you by the hand, and to make sure

ink or swim with my friends! A Whig

dark face that he was by no means so

at you, sir,

to be ever poking into my affairs. He and Addington have been boggling about the debts a

d into politics, varied by the drinking of sweet maraschino, which a footman brought round upon a salver. The King, the Queen, the Lords, and t

can do to scrape the money together to pay them. However, my"-he pulled himself up and coughed in a consequential way-"my financial agent ha

exercise for th

ake. You wouldn't think, to look at us, Tregellis, that we could do

and shook

, and jumped on to their places. Charlie rode the leader and I the wheeler. One fellow wouldn't let us through his turnpike, and Char

ggon and Horses on Friday next," said my uncle. "If you should chance to be in tow

ago. I swore off then, and you know me as a man of my word, Tregellis. Of course

ured if you would come in

n House on Friday. The Prince can't come, you know, Tregel

to see the Earl of Chest

ome rumour about your having a sporting bet w

s a fancy to this new Gloucester man, Crab Wilson, and I'm to find a man to be

horse, playing a hand, matching a cock, or picking a man, he has the best judgment in En

t they did not know the details of his deeds and prospects. The old ones and then the young were discussed-their weight, their gameness, their hitting power, and their constitution. Who, as he saw Sheridan and Fox eagerly arguing as to whether Caleb Baldwin, the Westm

ce lay in the veteran taking the field again. "He may be slow on his pins, but he fights with his head, and he hits like the kick of a horse. When he finished Bl

hrugged hi

s wife is too strong for me. And now, sir, I must leave you, for I have had the misfortune to-day to lose the best valet in Englan

n his distress. If I can raise a few hundreds, I shall see him and set things right for him. Now, Mr. Stone, you have your life before you, and I hope it will be one which your uncle

Again we passed the strange rooms, the gilded monsters, and the gorgeous footmen, and it was with relief that I found m