The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 119: what you’re looking at

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

102 REYNOLDS’ WORKS tlemen could, without much inconvenience to his own finances, have drawn a cheque upon his banker for an amount that would have purchased all the personal property possessed by the duke and his entire suite, yet such is the servile, grovelling, lickspittle character of the higher and middle orders of the Englsh, that the profoundest respect was paid by all visitors to this trumpery duke and the beggarly, half-starved horde of rapacious Germans that, he had brought over with him. It was, however, sufficient that he was nearly related to Prince Albert, that he bore a ducal title, and that he was an independent sovereign (in the pay of Russia and Austria), — it was sufficient, we say, that he was all this to ensure for him the reverential devotion of those scions of the British aristocracy and gentry who flocked to Mivart’s to pay their court. When the week had expired, and Christian was about to take his departure at five o’clock, — his usual hour, — he looked about for Baron Farthenless, to whom he was directed to apply for his salary. He could not, however, find the privy purse in any one of the suite of rooms occupied by his Royal Highness and his retinue, but in the antechamber he found all the other noblemen and gentlemen of the ducal household assembled together. It immediately struck Christian that these also were waiting for the privy purse, in order to receive such moneys as might be due to them; and yet, on a second thought, he repudiated the idea as some- thing too preposterous, that such high and mighty function- aries could possibly receive weekly salaries. He did not want his own money, as he had plenty of funds at his disposal, but the warning given him by the friendly disposed waiter had rendered him determined to look after that which was his due; for he thought it by no means improbable that Baron Farthenless might endeavour to cheat him out of it, — an opinion to which he was more or less justified in arriving inasmuch as during the week he had seen too many instances of the dirty meanness and paltry expedients to which the members of the ducal retinue had recourse for obtaining wines, cigars, spirits, and other things beyond the limit of their actual allowances. : “What for you sall.be waiting, yong mans?” inquired Baron Raggidbak, taking our hero aside and speaking to him in a confidential whisper. CONNIE OO KS (E(0)