Part 13 (2/2)

”Nay, I know no more; at least at present,” said their host. ”The secretary asked me about a person absent without leave for twenty years and who was said to have no relations, I found you one and a very near one. You are at the station and you have got your ticket. The American gentleman's wiolent. Here's the police. I must take a high tone.” And with these words Chaffing Jack quitted them.

In the meantime, we must not forget Dandy Mick and his two young friends whom he had so generously offered to treat to the Temple.

”Well, what do you think of it?” asked Caroline of Harriet in a whisper as they entered the splendid apartment.

”It's just what I thought the Queen lived in,” said Harriet; ”but indeed I'm all of a flutter.”

”Well, don't look as if you were,” said her friend.

”Come along gals,” said Mick; ”who's afraid? Here, we'll sit down at this table. Now, what shall we have? Here waiter; I say waiter!”

”Yes, sir, yes, sir.”

”Well, why don't you come when I call,” said Mick with a consequential air. ”I have been hallooing these ten minutes. Couple of gla.s.ses of bar mixture for these ladies and go of gin for myself. And I say waiter, stop, stop, don't be in such a deuced hurry; do you think folks can drink without eating;--sausages for three; and damme, take care they are not burnt.”

”Yes, sir, directly, directly.”

”That's the way to talk to these fellows,” said Mick with a self-satisfied air, and perfectly repaid by the admiring gaze of his companions.

”It's pretty Miss Harriet,” said Mick looking up at the ceiling with a careless nil admirari glance.

”Oh! it is beautiful,” said Harriet.

”You never were here before; it's the only place. That's the Lady of the Lake,” he added, pointing to a picture; ”I've seen her at the Circus, with real water.”

The hissing sausages crowning a pile of mashed potatoes were placed before them; the delicate rummers of the Mowbray slap-bang, for the girls; the more masculine pewter measure for their friend.

”Are the plates very hot?” said Mick;

”Very sir.”

”Hot plates half the battle,” said Mick.

”Now, Caroline; here, Miss Harriet; don't take away your plate, wait for the mash; they mash their taters here very elegant.”

It was a very happy and very merry party. Mick delighted to help his guests, and to drink their healths.

”Well,” said he when the waiter had cleared away their plates, and left them to their less substantial luxuries. ”Well,” said Mick, sipping a renewed gla.s.s of gin twist and leaning back in his chair, ”say what they please, there's nothing like life.”

”At the Traffords',” said Caroline, ”the greatest fun we ever had was a singing cla.s.s.”

”I pity them poor devils in the country,” said Mick; ”we got some of them at Collinson's--come from Suffolk they say; what they call hagricultural labourers, a very queer lot, indeed.”

”Ah! them's the himmigrants,” said Caroline; ”they're sold out of slavery, and sent down by Pickford's van into the labour market to bring down our wages.”

”We'll teach them a trick or two before they do that,” urged Mick.

”Where are you, Miss Harriet?”

”I'm at Wiggins and Webster's, sir.”

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