athos and to punch; so
Titus kept his station. Immediately after her husband's demise, it had
been Lady Rookwood's intention to clear the house of all the "vermin,"
so she expressed herself, that had so long infested it; and forcibly to
eject Titus, and one or two other intruders of the same class. But in
consequence of certain hints received from Mr. Coates, who represented
the absolute necessity of complying with Sir Piers's testamentary
instructions, which were particular in that respect, she thought proper
to defer her intentions until after the ceremonial of interment should
be completed, and, in the mean time, strange to say, committed its
arrangement to Titus Tyrconnel; who, ever ready to accommodate,
accepted, nothing loth, the charge, and acquitted himself admirably well
in his undertaking: especially, as he said, "in the aiting and drinking
department--the most essential part of it all." He kept open house--open
dining-room--open cellar; resolved that his patron's funeral should
emulate as much as possible an Irish burial on a grand scale, "the
finest sight," in his opinion, "in the whole world."

Inflated with the importance of his office, inflamed with heat, sat
Titus, like a "robustious periwig-pated" alderman after a civic feast.
The natural rubicundity of his countenance was darkened to a deep purple
tint, like that of a full-blown peony, while his ludicrous dignity was
augmented by a shining suit of sables, in which his portly person was
invested.

The first magnum had been discussed in solemn silence; the cloud,
however, which hung over the conclave, disappeared under the genial
influence of "another and a better" bottle, and gave place to a denser
vapor, occasioned by the introduction of the pipe and its
accompaniments.

Ensconced in a comfortable old chair--it is not every old chair that
_is_ comfortable,--with pipe in mouth, and in full unbuttoned ease, his
bushy cauliflower wig laid aside, by reason of the heat, reposed Dr.
Small. Small, indeed, was somewhat of a misnomer, as applied to the
worthy doctor, who, besides being no diminutive specimen of his kind,
entertained no insignificant opinion of himself. His height was
certainly not remarkable; but his width of shoulder--his sesquipedality
of stomach--and obesity of calf--these were unique! Of his origin we
know nothing; but presume he must, in some way or other, have been
connected with the numerous family of "the Smalls," who, according to