The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 119: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE DUCAL SECRETARY 101 away his time, reading newspapers, or quarrelling with a comrade over a game of piquet for sixpenny stakes. The Chevalier Kadger was the equerry, and he was in almost constant attendance upon his Royal Highness; but his leisure time was expended in smoking full-flavoured Cubas, and in renewing the odour of garlic and rum which he seemed to make it a rule to carry about with him. Then there was General Himmelspinken, who filled the office of master of the horse; but this— at least in England, whatever it might have been in Germany — was an unmistakable sine- - cure, for the Duke of Maxe-Stolburg-Quotha had not brought over with him so much as a donkey, much less a horse, and one of the queen’s carriages was every day sent from Buck- ingham Palace to convey his Royal Highness to court, or out for an airing, or to visit the public buildings, and so forth. Baron Farthenless held the office of privy purse, and Chris- tian could not help thinking that the name of this functionary was most unfortunately ominous in respect to the state of the ducal exchequer. One thing he noticed, which was that Baron Farthenless took immense care of the duke’s plate, only giving it out when his Royal Highness dined at the hotel, but never opening the chest for its display on the dinner-table of the ducal suite when his Royal Highness banqueted at the palace or elsewhere. Another high official was Herr Humbogh, — whose name was pronounced just like that word which Englishmen are accustomed to ejaculate when expressing a derisive incredulity of anything which they hear, or when denouncing an imposture, a quackery, or a cheat. This gentleman was denominated the privy seal. His duties were light and pleasant, as well as easily performed, and with but little responsibility, — being limited indeed to the careful keeping of an old brass seal on which the ducal arms were emblazoned, and the value of which as a piece of metal might be about three halfpence. The mention of Count Frumpenhausen will complete this aristocratic category, his lordship hearing the title of Gold Stick, and his duty being to carry a brass-headed cane on those occasions when his ducal master was graciously pleased to grant an audience to English noblemen and gentlemen who called to pay their respects to the reigning sovereign of Maxe-Stolburg-Quotha. But though any one of such English noblemen and gen- ECORNICLOO <S (EO) im