|
received in Edinburgh Castle. He looked
at it with awe.
"Ah, well!" he continued, "there's where the difference comes in! It's
in the training. The other Viscount have been horse-racing, and dicing,
and carrying on all his life. All right enough, no doubt; but what I do
say is that it don't lead to nothink. Whereas----"
"Whereas Mr. Rowley's?" I put in.
"My Viscount?" said he. "Well, sir, I _did_ say it; and now that I've
seen you, I say it again!"
I could not refrain from smiling at this outburst, and the rascal caught
me in the mirror and smiled to me again.
"I'd say it again, Mr. Hanne," he said. "I know which side my bread's
buttered. I know when a gen'leman's a gen'leman. Mr. Powl can go to
Putney with his one! Beg your pardon, Mr. Anne, for being so familiar,"
said he, blushing suddenly scarlet. "I was especially warned against it
by Mr. Powl."
"Discipline before all," said I. "Follow your front-rank man."
With that we began to turn our attention to the clothes. I was amazed to
find them fit so well: not _a la diable_, in the haphazard manner of a
soldier's uniform or a ready-made suit; but with nicety, as a trained
artist might rejoice to make them for a favourite subject.
"'Tis extraordinary," cried I: "these things fit me perfectly."
"Indeed, Mr. Anne, you two be very much of a shape," said Rowley.
"Who? What two?" said I.
"The Viscount," he said.
"Damnation! Have I the man's clothes on me, too?" cried I.
But Rowley hastened to reassure me. On the first word of my coming the
Count had put the matter of my wardrobe in the hands of his own and my
cousin's tailors; and on the rumour of our resemblance, my clothes had
been made to Alain's measure.
"But they were all made for you express, Mr. Anne. You may be certain
the Count would never do nothing by 'alf: fires kep' burning; the finest
of clothes ordered, I'm sure, and a body-servant being trained
a-purpose."
"Well," said I, "it's a good fire, and a good set-out of clothes; and
what a valet, Mr. Rowley! And there's one thing to be said for my
cousin--I mean for Mr. Powl's Viscount--he has a very fair figure."
"O, don't you be took in, Mr. Anne," quoth the faithless Rowley: "he has
to be hyked into a pair of stays to get them things on!"
"Come, come, Mr. Rowley," said I, "this is telling tales out of school!
Do not you be deceived. The greatest men of antiquity, including Caesar
and Hannibal and Pope Joan, may have been very
|