Part 61 (2/2)

It was one of those scenes of life and anihtest and freshest moments, which can scarcely fail to please; for if the eye be tired of show and glare, or the ear be weary with a ceaseless round of noise, the one er, happy, and expectant faces, and the other deaden all consciousness ofsounds in those of ypsy children, half naked though they be, suggest a drop of co to see that the sun has been there; to know that the air and light are on them every day; to feel that they ARE children, and lead children's lives; that if their pillows be damp, it is with the dews of Heaven, and not with tears; that the liirls are free, and that they are not crippled by distortions, i an unnatural and horrible penance upon their sex; that their lives are spent, fro trees, and not in thechildren old before they knohat childhood is, and give thee, the privilege to die God send that old nursery tales were true, and that gypsies stole such children by the score!

The great race of the day had just been run; and the close lines of people, on either side of the course, suddenly breaking up and pouring into it, iain all busy li, no less eagerly, for the carriages they had left in quest of better stations Here, a little knot gathered round a pea and thireenhorn; and there, another proprietor with his confederates in various disguises-one lass and a stylish hat; a third, dressed as a farmer well to do in the world, with his top-coat over his are leathern pocket-book; and all with heavy-handled whips to represent most innocent country felloho had trotted there on horseback-sought, by loud and noisy talk and pretended play, to entrap soentlemen confederates (of ood clothes), betrayed their close interest in the concern by the anxious furtive glance they cast on all new co on the outskirts of a wide circle of people asseler, opposed, in his turn, by a noisy band ofthe Bull,' while ventriloquists holding dialogues ooden dolls, and fortune-telling wo the cries of real babies, divided with theeneral attention of the coan to clink in carriages, ha provisions to be set forth, knives and forks to rattle, chahten that were not dull before, and pickpockets to count their gains during the last heat The attention so recently strained on one object of interest, was now divided a a hundred; and look where you would, there was a a-booths there was a plentiful show, flourishi+ng in all the splendour of carpeted ground, striped hangings, crieraniuer's club-house, the Athenaeum club-house, the Hampton club-house, the St James's club-house, and half a mile of club-houses to play IN; and there were ROUGE-ET-NOIR, French hazard, and other games to play AT It is into one of these booths that our story takes its way

Fitted up with three tables for the purposes of play, and croith players and lookers on, it was, although the largest place of the kind upon the course, intensely hot, notwithstanding that a portion of the canvas roof was rolled back to ade in and out Excepting one or tworoll of half-crowns, chequered with a few stray sovereigns, in his left hand, staked their money at every roll of the ball with a business-like sedateness which showed that they were used to it, and had been playing all day, and most probably all the day before, there was no very distinctive character about the players, ere chiefly youngsmall sureat interest in winning or losing There were two persons present, however, who, as peculiarly good speci notice

Of these, one was a ht and fifty, who sat on a chair near one of the entrances of the booth, with his hands folded on the top of his stick, and his chin appearing above the-bodied reen coat, which er than it was He wore, besides, drab breeches and gaiters, a white neckerchief, and a broad-bria in and out of the people, he seemed perfectly calm and abstracted, without the smallest particle of excitement in his composition He exhibited no indication of weariness, nor, to a casual observer, of interest either There he sat, quite still and collected So face, or beckoned to a waiter to obey a call from one of the tables The next instant he subsided into his old state He entleht have been patiently waiting for a friend, without the least consciousness of anybody's presence, or fixed in a trance, or under the influence of opiuesture, caught nobody's eye, let them pass away, and others come on and be succeeded by others, and took no notice When he didto occasion it And so, in truth, it was But there was not a face that passed in or out, which this esture at any one of the three tables that was lost upon him; not a word, spoken by the bankers, but reached his ear; not a winner or loser he could not have marked And he was the proprietor of the place

The other presided over the ROUGE-ET-NOIR table He was probably soer, and was a plu felloith his under-lip a little pursed, fro money inwardly as he paid it, but with no decidedly bad expression in his face, which was rather an honest and jolly one than otherwise He wore no coat, the weather being hot, and stood behind the table with a huge mound of crowns and half-crowns before hi Perhaps twenty people would be staking at the same time This man had to roll the ball, to watch the stakes as they were laid down, to gather them off the colour which lost, to pay those on, to do it all with the utame perpetually alive He did it all with a rapidity absolutelyato repeat such unconnected phrases as the following, which, partly fro appropriate and business-like to say, he constantly poured out with the same monotonous ee-a-nore froame and back your own opinions-any tientleht it over e-a-nore from Paris-black wins-black-stop a minute, sir, and I'll pay you, directly-two there, half a pound there, three there-and one there-gentle-any tiame is, that you can double your stakes or put down your ain-black wins-I never saw such a thing-I never did, in all entle the black in the last five minutes he must have won five-and-forty pound in four rolls of the ball, he ars, anda bottle of chaars here-and let's be colasses-any time while the ball rolls!-I lost one hundred and thirty-seven pound yesterday, gentlemen, at one roll of the ball, I did indeed!-how do you do, sir?' (recognising soe of voice, and giving a wink so slight that it seelass of sherry, sir?-here, wai-ter! bring a clean glass, and hand the sherry to this gentlee-a-nore froentlee-a-nore froht it over !'

This officer was busily plying his vocation when half-a-dozen persons sauntered through the booth, to who either in his speech or work, he bowed respectfully; at the sa, by a look, the attention of a nition of whom the proprietor pulled off his hat This was Sir Mulberry Hahoentlemanly-dressed men, of characters more doubtful than obscure

The proprietor, in a low voice, bade Sir Mulberry good-day Sir Mulberry, in the sao to the devil, and turned to speak with his friends

There was evidently an irritable consciousness about him that he was an object of curiosity, on this first occasion of showing himself in public after the accident that had befallen him; and it was easy to perceive that he appeared on the race-course, that day, reatover as much as possible of the annoyance at once, than with any purpose of enjoying the sport There yet renised, as he was al in and out, hehow keenly he felt the disgrace he had undergone

'Ah! Hawk,' said one very sprucely-dressed personage in a Newmarket coat, a choice neckerchief, and all other accessories of the most unexceptionable kind 'How d'ye do, old fellow?'

This was a rival trainer of young nobleentlemen, and the person of all others whom Sir Mulberry most hated and dreaded to meet They shook hands with excessive cordiality

'And how are you now, old fellow, hey?'

'Quite well, quite well,' said Sir Mulberry

'That's right,' said the other 'How d'ye do, Verisopht? He's a little pulled down, our friend here Rather out of condition still, hey?'

It should be observed that the gentleman had very white teeth, and that when there was no excuse for laughing, he generally finished with the same monosyllable, which he uttered so as to display the thelad to hear it,' rejoined the other 'Have you just returned froht,' said Lord Frederick Sir Mulberry turned away to speak to one of his own party, and feigned not to hear

'Now, uponto speak in a whisper, 'it's an unco in Hawk to show himself so soon I say it advisedly; there's a vast deal of courage in it You see he has just rusticated long enough to excite curiosity, and not long enough for otten that deuced unpleasant-by-the-bye-you know the rights of the affair, of course? Why did you never give those confounded papers the lie? I seldom read the papers, but I looked in the papers for that, and may I be-'

'Look in the papers,' interrupted Sir Mulberry, turning suddenly round, 'tomorrow-no, next day, will you?'

'Upon my life, my dear fellow, I seldo his shoulders, 'but I will, at your recommendation What shall I look for?'

'Good day,' said Sir Mulberry, turning abruptly on his heel, and drawing his pupil with hi, careless pace at which they had entered, they lounged out, arive him a case of murder to read,'very near it if whipcord cuts and bludgeons bruise'

His co in his alled Sir Mulberry to add, with nearly as much ferocity as if his friend had been Nicholas hiht o'clock thisHe's a staunch one; he was back with er I had it all from him in the first five minutes I knohere this hound is to be met with; time and place both But there's no need to talk; tomorroill soon be here'

'And wha-at's to be done tomorrow?' inquired Lord Frederick

Sir Mulberry Hawk honoured hilance, but condescended to return no verbal answer to this inquiry Both walked sullenly on, as though their thoughts were busily occupied, until they were quite clear of the crowd, and almost alone, when Sir Mulberry wheeled round to return

'Stop,' said his companion, 'I want to speak to you in earnest Don't turn back Let us walk here, a few minutes'

'What have you to say to me, that you could not say yonder as well as here?' returned his Mentor, disengaging his arm

'Hawk,' rejoined the other, 'tell me; I must know'

'MUST know,' interrupted the other disdainfully 'Whew! Go on If you must know, of course there's no escape for me Must know!'

'Must ask then,' returned Lord Frederick, 'and htforward answer Is what you have just said only aout of humour and irritated, or is it your serious intention, and one that you have actually contemplated?'

'Why, don't you reht, when I was laid up with a broken limb?' said Sir Mulberry, with a sneer

'Perfectly well'

'Then take that for an answer, in the devil's name,' replied Sir Mulberry, 'and ask me for no other'

Such was the ascendancy he had acquired over his dupe, and such the latter's general habit of sub man seemed half afraid to pursue the subject He soon overca, however, if it had restrained hirily: 'If I remember what passed at the ti opinion on this subject, and said that, with e or consent, you never should do what you threaten now'

'Will you prevent h

'Ye-es, if I can,' returned the other, pro clause, that last,' said Sir Mulberry; 'and one you stand in need of Oh! look to your own business, and leave me to look to mine'

'This IS mine,' retorted Lord Frederick 'I make it mine; I will make it mine It's mine already I am more compromised than I should be, as it is'

'Do as you please, and what you please, for yourself,' said Sir Mulberry, affecting an easy good-hu for s that I choose to take I am sure you know me better than to do so The fact is, I see, you mean to offer me advice It is well meant, I have no doubt, but I reject it Now, if you please, ill return to the carriage I find no entertain this conversation, we ht quarrel, which would be no proof of wisdo for no further discussion, Sir Mulberry Haned, and very leisurely turned back

There was not a little tact and knowledge of the young lord's disposition in thishim Sir Mulberry clearly saw that if his dominion were to last, it must be established now He knew that theman would becothen his influence, when any circu this cool and laconic style; and he trusted to it noith very little doubt of its entire success

But while he did this, and wore the most careless and indifferent deportment that his practised arts enabled him to assume, he inwardly resolved, not only to visit all the s, with additional severity upon Nicholas, but also tolord pay dearly for it, one day, in so as he had been a passive instruarded hi than contempt; but, now that he presumed to avow opinions in opposition to his, and even to turn upon hian to hate him Conscious that, in the vilest and most worthless sense of the ter lord, Sir Mulberry could the less brook huan to dislike him he measured his dislike-as men often do-by the extent of the injuries he had inflicted upon its object When it is remembered that Sir Mulberry Hawk had plundered, duped, deceived, and fooled his pupil in every possible way, it will not be wondered at, that, beginning to hate hian to hate hi thought-which he very seldo-and seriously too, upon the affair with Nicholas, and the circumstances which led to it, had arrived at a manly and honest conclusion Sir Mulberry's coarse and insulting behaviour on the occasion in question had produced a deep i led him on to pursue Miss Nickleby for purposes of his own, had been lurking there for some time; he was really ashamed of his share in the transaction, and deeply ulled He had had sufficient leisure to reflect upon these things, during their late retirement; and, at times, when his careless and indolent nature would perht circumstances, too, had occurred to increase his suspicion It wanted but a very slight circuainst Sir Mulberry This his disdainful and insolent tone in their recent conversation (the only one they had held upon the subject since the period to which Sir Mulberry referred), effected

Thus they rejoined their friends: each with causes of dislike against the other rankling in his breast: and the young hts of the vindictive retaliation which was threatened against Nicholas, and the deter step, if possible But this was not all Sir Mulberry, conceiving that he had silenced him effectually, could not suppress his triu up what he conceived to be his advantage Mr Pyke was there, and Mr Pluck was there, and Colonel Chowser, and other gentlereat point for Sir Mulberry to show the lord contented himself with a silent deter hirew ry, and was exasperated by jests and familiarities which, a few hours before, would have been a source of amuse or retort as suited the company, he was no match for Sir Mulberry Still, no violent rupture took place They returned to town; Messrs Pyke and Pluck and other gentle, on the way thither, that Sir Mulberry had never been in such tiptop spirits in all his life