The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 76: what you’re looking at

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

Vv THE NOBLE INTIMATES o9 a wretched, paltry, miserable eight hundred? If it weren’t for my worthy old aunt, Lady Macdonald, who draws her purse-strings as freely as she can, I don’t know how the devil I should manage. But, after all, to have an income of about twelve hundred a year altogether, and yet spend five thousand, is a state of affairs which must necessarily have its troubles.”’ “To be sure, my lord,’ observed the valet, “ and these creditors are getting very troublesome. Of course I say all I possibly can to them, representing that your lordship is in daily expectation of considerable funds from the Marquis of Eagledean, and that the moment the money arrives re will all be paid.”’ ‘And yet you see, Alfred, that they are very far from being satisfied,’ rejoined Lord Harold. “They are most unreasonable, my lord.’ ‘They are, indeed, or else they would not be pestering me with these abominable dunning letters. I wish to Heaven I was in the House of Peers. I would bring in a bill to make it felony for a tradesman to write a dunning letter to a nobleman. But when my old uncle dies, and when I do succeed to the peerage, the very first thing I will propose is something of that sort.”’ “ Your lordship will be pursuing a very wise course,” said. the valet. ‘“‘ The impudence of tradesmen is nowadays astonishing.’’ “T wish I could throw these vagabonds of creditors overboard, as young Lord Cecil Stafford has done,”’ observed Harold. ‘“‘ He went through the Insolvent’s Court the other day with flying colours, to the tune of sixty thousand, and though he was opposed by twenty creditors in person and nine barristers retained specially, the commissioner took his part and discharged him at once.” ~ The commissioner behaved admirably, my lord,’’ said the valet. “ Yes, most admirably; and the very next day, Lord Cecil, to show his gratitude, went in a four-in-hand to thank him personally for his politeness. The commissioner was no doubt glad to see him in such good form within four and twenty hours of leaving the Queen’s Bench.”’ ~ It must have been a very gratifying sight, my lord, to the commissioner,’’ remarked the valet. COnnIEOOOKS (C(O)