The History of Samuel Titmarsh, and The Great Hoggarty Diamond

retty paradise did we build for ourselves! Well, we were but forty years old between us; and

and a fine healthy air, at a reasonable distance from 'Change; all for 30l. a year. I had described this little spot to Mary as enthusiastically as Sancho describes Lizias to Don Quixote; and my dear wife was delighted with the prospect of housekeeping there, vowed she would cook all the best dishes herself (especially jam-pudding, of which I confess I am very fond), and promised Gus that he s

oon excursion; when Mrs. Hoggarty informed us that she was sick of the country, and was determined to go to Lon

for it; and we were obliged to bring her: for, as my mother said, if we offended her, he

must be brought, and a person of my aunt's rank in life could not travel by the stage. And I

ld steal the candles; from the third we went because Aunt Hoggarty came down to breakfast the morning after our arrival with her face shockingly swelled and bitten by-never mind what. To cut a long tale short, I was half mad with the continual choppings and chan

en he heard that my lack of money had been occasioned by the bringing of my aunt to London, his tone instantly changed. "That, my dear boy, alters the question; Mrs. Hoggarty is of an age when all things must be yielded to her. Here are a hundred pounds; and I beg you to draw upon me whenev

did not fail to inform Mrs. Brough of the cause, and to state that at Castle Hoggarty, or at

offer her,-a humble, happy, Christian home, madam; though unlike, perhaps, the splendour to which you have been accustomed in the course of your distinguished career. Isabella my love!-Belinda! speak to Mrs. Hoggarty. Tell her that John Brough's house is hers from garret to cellar. I repeat i

absolutely began to cry as she packed and toiled at Aunt's enormous valises, yet she performed the work, and came down with a smiling face to my a

t, but I am not strong enough

lo! George, Frederic, Augustus, come upstairs this instant, and bring down the t

himself seized a pair of them with both bands, carried them to the carriage, and shouted loud enough for all Lamb's Conduit Str

; but they were too heavy for her, so she contented herself with sitting on one, a

come up. This I thought was very strange, because Mrs. Hoggarty could not abide Hoskins, and indeed had told me repeatedly that either she or he must quit the house. Well, we went upstairs, and there was Mary, who had dried her tea

h had occurred, and how Mrs. Hoggarty had been whisked away to Fulham in Mr. Brough's splendid carriage-and-four. "Let her go," I am sorry to s

was better than the best sermon. On week-days Mrs. Titmarsh would take a walk about five o'clock in the evening on the left-hand side of Lamb's Conduit Street (as you go to Holborn)-ay, and sometimes pursue her walk as far as Snow Hill, when two young gents from the I. W. D. Fire and Life were pretty sure to meet her; and then how happily we all trudged off to dinner! Once we came up as a monster of a man, with high heels and a gold-headed cane, and whiskers all over his face, was grinning under Mary's bonnet, and chattering to her, close to Day and Martin's Blacking Manufactory (not near such

;" but we walked on, Gus putting his thumb to his nose and stretching out his f

s departure came a letter fro

miss me very much, and where she, poor thing, quite inexperienced in the ways of 'the great metropulus,' in aconamy, an

atable host; and my pegreen velvet on Saturday at a grand dinner, when Lord Scaramouch handed me to table. Everything was in the most sumptious style. Soup top and bottom (white and brown), removed by turbit and sammon with immense boles of lobster-sauce. Lobsters alone cost 15s. Turbit, three guineas. The hole sammon, weighing, I'm sure, 15 lbs., and never seen at table again; not a bitt of pickled sammon the hole weak afterwards. This kind o

ery much feared, cumsumptive; but gave me some pills and a draft wh made me better. Please call upon him-he lives at Pimlico, and you can walk out there after

r; and his crest and motty, a beehive, with the Latn word Industria, meaning industry, on everything-even on the chany juggs and things in my bedd-room. On Sunday we were favoured by a special outpouring from the Rev. Grimes Wapshot, of the Amabaptist Congrigation here, and who egshorted for 3 hours in the afternoon in Mr. B

As for Miss B., she is so saucy that once I promised to box her years; and would hav

ot choose to walk out with me, the Rev. Grimes Wapshot has often been kind enough to lend me his arm, and 'tis sweet with such a guide to wander both to Putney and Wandsworth, and igsamin

rsh look up my blue silk dress, and turn it against I come; and there is my purple spencer she can have for herself; and I hope she does not wear those three

loving

When it comes, please to send half down here (paying the carriage, of

nce; for the letter had been mingled with some more of his own, and he opened it without looking at the superscription. Of cour

e wanted particularly to speak to me: and I stopped thither, and found my old friend Smithers,

her property which you ought to know. She wrote us down a letter for a chest of that home-made

part with as much Rosolio as she l

be sure-it's not that: but, in the postscript of her letter, she orders us to advertise the Slop

. Hodge and Smithers, for Aunt was always at law with her tenants, and paid dearly for her litigious spi

is fact? It seems to me you had much better have obeyed my aunt's instructi

akes a sale of her property, she will hand over the

nt. for it instead of three

se five hundred companies in which he is engaged may bring him to ruin. There's the Ginger Beer Company, of which Brough is a director: awkward reports are abroad concerning it. The Cons

ares in the Independent West Diddlesex, and is that at a discount? Who recommended my

oy; and you may thank us for the interest we took in you (indeed, we loved you as a son, and Miss Hodge h

s with him, and accepted a glass of sherr

. S. a long account of a reverend gent with whom she walks out there,-the Reverend Grimes Wapshot. That man has an eye upon her. He w

ut Mrs. Hoggarty's lett

," he said, "I have only two favours to ask of you: one is, not to mention that I am in town to an

s, your arrival in town must be known, for my friend Gus Hoskins dines

swear Gus to secrecy over a bottle.

or she would have given a great deal to be spared my aunt's company. But she said she saw the force of Mr. Smithers's arguments, and I admitted their justice with a sigh. Howe

y fellow, Mr. Hoskins, and seem to be the friend of this charming young couple," said Smithers; and Gus confessed he was, and said he had dined with us fifteen times in six weeks, and that a better and more hosp

much heed; a step was heard on the floor, which we hoped might be for the two-pair lodger, when who should burst into the room but Mrs. Hoggarty herself! Gus, who was blowing the froth off a pot of porter preparatory

g, "It is too true-my poor boy-already!" flung herself hysterically into

en the poor thing rather nervously offered it; and when Gus timidly said, "I think, Sam, I'm rather in the way here, and perhaps-had better

tay as long as he pleases,

tic. But Mary's speech and my aunt's were quite lost upon Gus; for

and by my aunt's repeating the assertion that it was not too late,

re in our own room; but my wife protested she did not know: and it was only some time a

ood joke, only the other year, when he showed me the letter of Hickson

ill two of your mortal enemies with one stone as it were. It was quite clear to me that the Reverend Grimes Wapshot had an eye to your aunt's fortune; and tha

on finding that worthy gent,-he was drinking warm brandy-and-water, Sam, at two o'clock in the day, or at least the roo

nnocence was by Providence

's history, for I had a writ out against him when he was a preacher at Clifton. I followed up my blow. 'Mr. Wapshot,' said I, 'you are m

lemn promise to Mr. Brough, who was with me this very morning, storming, and scolding, and swe

here?' says I, r

e widow with the Slopperton and Squashtail estate, do you? Well, well, have your way. I've

rough has threatened to kick you

en I remembered what you had told me of the broken seal of your letter, an

ad a shot at him. Now I had to fire at the whole Rookery;

respected aunt, sir: but I wished to meet the amiable ladies of the house before I saw her; because look, friend Titmarsh, I saw by Mrs. H

that Mr. Smithers was

ut as I entered at the door, I cried 'Hush!' to the footman, as loud as possible, stood stock-still, and then walked forward on tip-toe lightl

r interrupting that delicious harmony,-for coming un

ugh, with as much graciousness as her physio

eathe a word regarding my business until

ed pleased, and said, 'La!

ady, your respected fathe

the bell, and ringing it. 'John, send to Mrs. Hoggarty, in

re that those and her education are not such as to make her a fit companion for you. I k

cried Miss Brough (it was the very point I wished to insin

t her nephew and niece are longing for her return. Pray, madam,

rences. Well, sir, the battle-royal was fought,-Miss Belinda opening the fire, by saying she understood Mrs. Hoggarty had been calumniating her to her friends. But though at the end of it Miss rushed out of the room in a rage, and vowed she would leave her home unless

has been of late, Sam says, rather poorly,-qualmish of mornings, madam,-a little nervous, and

l that she would send Mrs. Samuel Titmarsh, and

deed I scarcely dare. I dined with your nephew yesterday, and met at his table a young man-a young man of low manners, but evidently one who has blinded your nephew, and I too much fear has succeeded in making an impression upon your niece. Hi

n ten minutes more was in my carriage, on our way b

trick off at my wife's exp

certainly; but for the

he affair happened ten years ago; or, by the Lord, Mr. Smithers, I

o her relatives; and this was the reason why we took that hous