FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135  
136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   >>   >|  
very rough endeavor to restore the broken plume. "Had you held your head lower down, in the attitude of a bull's attack, I should have lassoed you at once, and without difficulty." "Lasso is part of the verb 'to weary,' 'to fatigue,' 'to _ennuyer,_ in fact," said Mr. Linton, with an admirably-put-on simplicity; and a very general smile ran through the company. "When did you see Gosford?" said Meek, addressing one of the hussar officers, eager to relieve the momentary embarrassment. "Not for six months; he 's in Paris now." "Does he mention _me_ in his letter to you?" "He does," said the other, but with an evident constraint, and a side-look as he ended. "Yes, faith, he forgets nane of us," said Sir Andrew, with a grin. "He asks after Kannyfack,--ould sax-and-eightpence, he ca's you,--and says he wished you were at Paris, to gie him a dinner at the--what d' ye ca' it?--the Roshy de something. I see he has a word for ye, my Lord Kilgoff. He wants to know whether my leddie is like to gie ye an heir to the ancient house o' Kilgoff, in whilk case he 'll no be so fond of playing ecarte wi' George Lushington, wha has naething to pay wi' except post-obits on yer lordship,--he, he, he! Ay, and Charlie, my man," continued he, turning to the aide-de-camp, Lord Charles Frobisher, "he asks if ye hauld four by honors as often as ye used formerly; he says there 's a fellow at Paris ye could n't hold a candle to,--he never deals the adversary a card higher than the nine." The whole company, probably in relief to the evident dismay created by the allusion to Lord Kilgoff, laughed heartily at this sally, and none more than the good-looking fellow the object of it. "But what of Meek, sir?--what does he say of Downie?" "He says vera little about Mister Meek, ava; he only inquires what changes we have in the poleetical world, and where is that d--d humbug, Downie Meek?" Another and a heartier laugh now ran through the room, in which Mr. Downie Meek cast the most Imploring looks around him. "Well," cried he, at last, "that's not fair; it is really not fair of Gosford. I appeal to this excellent company if I deserve the title." A chorus of negatives went the round, with most energetic assurances of dissenting from the censure of the letter. "Come now, Sir Andrew," said Meek, who for once, losing his balance, would not even omit him in the number of approving voices,--"come, now, Sir Andrew, I ask you frankly, am I a
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135  
136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Downie
 

Andrew

 

company

 

Kilgoff

 

Gosford

 
fellow
 
evident
 

letter

 
created
 

allusion


laughed

 

dismay

 
voices
 

relief

 
number
 

balance

 
losing
 
heartily
 

approving

 

honors


Charles

 

Frobisher

 

frankly

 

adversary

 

candle

 

higher

 

humbug

 

deserve

 

excellent

 

appeal


chorus

 
Another
 

heartier

 

Imploring

 

poleetical

 
negatives
 

dissenting

 
assurances
 

object

 
energetic

inquires
 

Mister

 
censure
 
addressing
 

hussar

 

officers

 
admirably
 

simplicity

 
general
 

relieve