"Cumber."

It is not at all likely that Lord Cumber would ever have noticed
Hartley's circular, or troubled himself about the formation of the
new corps in the slightest degree were it not for the malignity of
M'Clutchy, who not only hated the whole family of the Hartleys from the
same principle on which a knave hates an honest man, but in remembrance
of that gentleman's cousin having, in his office, and in his own
presence, kicked his son Phil and pulled his nose. When enclosing
the circular, therefore, to his lordship, he underlined the word
"respectable," by which it was made to appear deliberately offensive.
Whether it was used with the design of reflecting upon the licentious
violence of the blood-hounds, we pretend not to say, but we can safely
affirm that the word in the original document was never underlined
by Hartley. Lord Cumber, like his old father, was no coward, and
the consequence was, that having once conceived the belief that the
offensive term in the circular was levelled at his own corps--although
he had never even seen it--he, on the receipt of M'Clutchy's letter,
came to the determination of writing to Hartley upon the subject.

Lord Cumber to Henry Hartley, Esq.:--

"Sir: I have just perused a circular written by you, calling a meeting
at the Castle Cumber Arms, with the object of forming what you are
pleased to term, a yeomanry corps of _respectable_ cavalry. Now you are
perfectly at liberty to bestow whatever epithets you wish upon your new
corps, provided these epithets contain no unfair insinuation against
existing corps. I think, therefore, that whilst others have been for
some time already formed in the neighborhood, your use of the term
respectable was, to say the least of it, unhandsome. I also perceive
that you have written to some of my tenants, who are already enrolled
in the Castle Cumber corps, and am informed that several of my men have
already given up their arms and clothing, on account of an application
from you to join your corps. I presume, sir, you did not know that these
persons belonged to the Castle Cumber troops, for, however anxious
in the cause you may be, I need not point out to you a very obvious
fact--to wit--that weakening a corps already embodied only tends to
defeat the purpose for which it was designed. I take it, therefore, for
granted, that no gentleman, however great his influence, would ask any
soldier to desert his colors, and I am sure you will tell thos