The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 267: what you’re looking at

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254 THE MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. describe how he had got fifty pipes of Port wine in the Channel Islands, ready for the English market, and how he had already refused sixty guineas a-piece for them. Of course he was ac- cepted: and so you see, Colonel Malpas, that I am pretty successful in the bail that I take up. in fact, I can give you plenty of references to prove that I am the best Straw Bail Agent in Lon- don. And now, with your permission, I'll ring the bell for another pint of wine.” No sooner eaid than done: the wine was brought —and while Mr. Joshua Jenkins discussed it, the bargain was confirmed relative to the bail by the Colonel paying twenty guineas down and agreeing to deposit eighty more in the hands of the master of the coffee-house, to be duly handed over to Mr. Jenkins aforesaid on the bail passing the scutiny of the Judge. Mr. Jenkins then took his leave; and Colonel Malpas remained for a short time alone, to ponder over the singular statements he had heard from the lips of the lawyer. But in a few minutes the door was suddenly burst open; and five or six individuals, of shabby genteel appearance, rushed one upon the heels of another into the Wine-room. They evidently » thought that this noisy and unceremonious mode of entrance was highly diverting—for they laughed boisterously, as’ they flung themselves upen the denches at the table nearest to that where the Colonel was sitting. Almost immediately afterwards the waiter made bis appearance, saying, “ Now, genelmen, give your erders”—but in a tone which showed that he did not highly admire his customers. “ Well, what shall it bet” cried one, appealing to his companions. “Ob! glasses of negus round,” said another. “‘ There are six of us. Come, waiter—half-a-dozen glasses of negus. Look sharp !” “Q yes, sir, I am looking sharp enough,” re- sponded the waiter: “ bat I want to eee the money before I serve the lush.” “What cursed infernal impudence!” ejaculated the one who had first spoken. “Who the devil ever thinks of asking a gentleman for money? For my part, “he added, “I have left my purse up in my room—which is deuced imprudent, by the bye, seeing it is full of gold and bank-notes.” “And as for my purse,” remarked another of the delectable party, fombling ion his pocket, “it has got through a hole down into the linings of my breeches, and I sha’n’t be able to fish it up until I take my smalclothes off. It’s deuced provoking: for I've got at least five pounds of ama!) change in it, and shoald have been delighted to stand treat.” ‘Well, upon my word, we seem to be out of luck,” exclaimed the third member of the party: “for I've got nothing but a bank-note for a hundred guineas,” he continued, drawing out an oid brown silk purse with a playbill rastling in one end: “and there’s no.chance of getting change for such a heavy piece of flimsey in this place to-night.” “Deuce take it!” cried the fourth: “if I had known that you were all exposed to such incon- veniences as these, I would not have lent that Gwenty guineas just now to Lord Smigsmag. Bat really it was impossible to re“use his lordship ander the c’rcamstances,” “Oh? exclaimed the fifth: “don’t make your- selves uneasy, I’ve got plenty of money about ne [°—and thus speaking, he thrust his hands with all confidence into his breeches’ pocket : then sud- denly starting as if alarmed by a chimney falling or a cry of fire, he vociferated, “By heavens! I have lost my purse—I have lost my purse !"— and he affected to be in a tremendous rage. “Now, was there ever anything so regularly un- fortunate ?” exclaimed the sixth member of this precious group, drawing forth the remains of a cheque-book from which a great number of drafts had been cut out. “Here am I, not only able but aleo willing to write you a cheque for a cool hundred or two, just as you like: but now it is after business hours in Lombard Street—and so it’s all the same as if I had not a twopenny-piece in all the world at my banker's.” “Well, it raly is wery provoking,” exclaimed the waiter, with a covert sarcasm in his tone, “to see six genelmen all so well-to-do in their circum- stances and so full of blunt as you are, and not able just at this present speaking to raise six shillings between you all.” “It is provoking—very,” said one of the party, looking ‘full at Malpas; “and if I knew any body who would just lend me as much as six shil. lings till to-morrow morning, I would send them into him with my card and a note of thanks just as he sate down to his breakfast.” The Colonel, who was too wide-awake not to see through the characters of the six gentlemen, made no remark, and indeed affected not to observe that any hint had been thrown out towards him- self. “ Did you speak, sir?” said the foremost of the party, now boldly addressing the Colonel, but with a very bland look and polite bow. ‘No, sir—I said nothing,” replied Malpas, some. what sulkily. “There — by heavens! the gentleman is a trump,” vociferated the previous speaker: “he offers to treat us to giasses of negus round! Come, water, look alive: the gentleman is anxious to pay his footing—and we are anxious to drink his health.” The Colonel was so taken aback by the cool impudence of this proceeding, that he could not return a negative to the inquiring look which the waiter threw upon him: and this functionary, act- ing upon the principle that silence gives consent, at once shuffied away to execate the order. ** New-comer, sir?” said one of the party to the Colonel. “ Yes—I am sorry to say so,” responded Malpas, not deeming it prudent to treat his fellow-prisoners with any marked coolness. “ Going to stay here long?” asked another. “In for much?” bilandly inquired a third. “Going through the Court?” mildly asked a fourth. “ Or going to bail out?” said a fifth. “If you stay here any time,” ubserved the sixth, “vou'll want a room. Now, as there are only about a hundred and twenty rooms in the place, each not large enoagh to swing a cat in, and seven hundred prisoners to live in them all, it’s rather a difficult thing to get a room to one’s self at any price. But as you seem to be a regular gentleman and are standing this negus in so handsome a manner mae = ee GOnMGoOO ms CO \