Part 31 (1/2)
'Could we condescend to offer him satisfaction?'
'Would he dare to deht'
'You are there to-night?'
'At Lady Denewdney's to-e a hope?'
'Both? Oh! bravo, bravo! Tell e it? I allop Yes, I shall be at both, be sure of that'
My father introduced me
'Let me present to your notice my son, Harry Lepel Richers, and nodded atto him:
'He has a boy's taste: I hear he esteems me moderately well-favoured'
'An inherited error certain to increase with age!'
'Now you have started me!' she exclaimed, and lashed the flanks of her horse
We had evidently been enacting a part deeply interesting to the population of Bath, for the heads of all the strolling groups were bent on us; and when Miss Penrhys cantered away, down dropped eyeglasses, and the promenade returned to activity I fancied I perceived that reeted more cordially on his way back to the hotel
'You do well, Richie,' he observed, 'in preserving your co; it will cos are to be able to stand well, ell, and look with an eye at home in its socket: I put you h blood--Not a brazen eye!--of the two extremes, I prefer the beaten spaniel sort--Blindfold me, but I put you my hand on them As to repartee, you roaned, 'do not force it! Blessto the upper notes of his groan: 'Ignorance, density, total imbecility, is better; I would rather any day of rossest of human trials--a detestable dinner, than be doomed to hear so--excruciate feelings which, where they exist, cannot but be exquisitely delicate Goodness gracious e is of an unalterable gravity whenever I am present at one of these exhibitions I care not if I offend Let them say I wish to revolutionize society--I declare to you, Richie boy, delightful to h I find your keen stroke of repartee, still your felloho takes the thrust gracefully, knohen he's traversed by alike a spitted buffalo and asking us to adility--you follow ht vastly in ready wit; it is the wine of language!--I regard that '
My father pressed on nificance of eyebrow, that Captain DeWitt had the gift of repartee in perfection
'Jorian,' said he, 'will you wager our editor declines to dine with us?'
The answer struck me as only passable I think it was:
'When rats s up the staircase of our hotel to his bedroom
'I should not have forced hienius, Richie--in the way of rejoinders, Ifor dinner I have watched hihly enjoys it! I am myself a quick or slow dresser, as the caseinto his enjoyment of it He will have his ith a view of the sunset; there is his fire, his warmed linen, and his shi+rt-studs; his bath, his choice of a dozen things he will or will not wear; the landlord's or host's lass, and the extremely handsome miniature likeness of his wife, who is in the et his name Jorian calls this, new birth--you catch his idea? He throws off the old and is on with the neith a highly hopeful anticipation His valet is a scoundrel, but never fails in extracting the menu from the cook, wherever he may be, and, in fine, is too attentive to the hour's devotion to be discarded! Poor Jorian I know no man I pity so much'
I conceived hih not enviable
'He has but six hundred a year, and a passion for Burgundy,' said my father
We were four at table The editor came, and his timidity soon wore off in the warmth of hospitality He appeared a kind exciteable little lad of his dinner from the first, and in due time proud of his entertainer His response to the toast of the Fourth Estate was an apology for its behaviour to retted it A vinous speech
My father heard hi him subsequently,
'I would not interrupt you in the delivery of your sentiments,' he said
'I must, however, man to man, candidly tell you I should have wished to arrest your expressions of regret They convey to my mind an idea, that on receipt of n to corrupt you Protest nothing, I beg Editors are human, after all Now, my object is, that as you write of e of me; and I naturally am interested in one who does me so much honour
The facts of my life are at your disposal for publication and co of me: I seek for justice, but I never coht be theit is! In the end I shall be righted Meanwhile you contribute tome with your society'