The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 75: what you’re looking at

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

THE SCHOOLMASTER 59 who had good reason to be rejoiced at it, inasmuch as there was all the more for themselves. The two decanters were emptied in an inconceivably short space of time, and Baron Raggidbak dropped a hint relative to a second supply; but Christian was anxious to run up to the Regent’s Park and tell his sister that he had obtained another situation, so that he rose to take his departure, wondering infinitely not merely at the conduct of the groom of the stole and the equerry-in-waiting, but also at the entire appearance of the duke and his retinue. As he was about to issue from the hotel, he was encountered by the same waiter who had brought up the wine, and who was now crossing the hall at the moment. The man paused, and looked at Christian as if he wished to speak to him, and as our young hero himself was anxious to hear some- thing more relative to the personages amongst whom acci- dent had thrown him, he paused likewise. The waiter there- upon said, “‘ Just step into this room, sir.”’ Christian followed the man, who carefully closed the door, and then said, “ I beg your pardon, sir, but as I see that you are a liberal young gentleman, I don’t like you to stand the chance of being robbed.” “ Robbed?” ejaculated our hero. ‘‘ Why, is not that really a duke? ” ‘* Oh, yes, sir, he is a duke fast enough: but such a duke! ” exclaimed the waiter contemptuously. “‘I am sure my master would like to be well quit of him and all his beggarly crew of hungry Germans, with their hard names, their airs, their meanness, and their insolence. Perhaps you saw, sir, that I hesitated to bring up the wine when that fellow Raggidbak ordered it? The fact is the duke has given positive instructions that nothing is to be supplied except by command of Count Wronki, the lord steward.” “‘ But this is most extraordinary!” cried young Ashton, lost in bewilderment. “Oh, extraordinary indeed!” echoed the waiter. ‘I never saw such a wretched set of paupers in my life. They don’t seem to have a farthing amongst them —I mean the duke’s retinue; and between you and me, sir, I don’t think the duke himself is overtroubled with cash. Of course you know that whenever he visits this country all his travel- ling expenses, both coming and going, are paid by the Eng- GOMIIGIOO <S) (C() mM