The Amateur Gentleman
Page 378"Oh--hif you please, sir!"
Barnabas started, raised his head, and, glancing over his shoulder,
beheld Milo of Crotona. He was standing in the middle of the room
looking very cherubic, very natty, and very upright of back; and he
stared at Barnabas with his innocent blue eyes very wide, and with
every one of the eight winking, twinkling, glittering buttons on his
small jacket--indeed, it seemed to Barnabas that to-day his buttons
were rather more knowing than usual, if that could well be.
Therefore Barnabas dropped his table-napkin, very adroitly, upon a
certain object that yet lay upon the table before him, ere he turned
about and addressed himself to the Viscount's diminutive "tiger."
"What, my Imp," said he, "where in the world have you sprung from,
"No, sir--'cause you jest 'appened to be lookin' at that there
little boot, you did." Thus Master Milo, and his eyes were guileless
as an angel's, but--his buttons--!
"Hum!" said Barnabas, rubbing his chin. "But how did you get in, Imp?"
"Froo de winder, sir, I did. An' I 've come to tell you 'is
Ludship's compliments, and 'e's a-comin' along wiv 'er, 'e is."
"With--whom?"
"Wiv my lady--'er."
"What lady?"
"Wiv 'is Ludship's lady, 'is Vi-coun-tess,--'er."
"His Viscountess!" repeated Barnabas, staring, "do you mean that the
"'T ain't my fault, sir--no fear, it ain't. 'E went and done it be'ind
my back--s'morning as ever was, 'e did. I didn't know nothin' about it
till it was too late, 'e done it unbeknownst to me, sir, 'e did, an'
she done it too a' course, an' the Yurl went an' 'elped 'em to do it,
'e did. So did the Cap'n, and the Doochess an' Lady Cleone--they all
'elped 'em to do it, they did. An' now they're goin' into the country,
to Deven'am, an' I'm a-goin' wiv 'em--an' they're a-drivin' over to
see you, sir, in 'is Ludship's noo phayton--an' that's all--no,
it ain't though."
"What more, Imp?"
"Why, as they all come away from the church--where they'd been
she see me, too. 'Why it's the little Giant!' she sez. 'Best respex,
mam,' I sez, an' then I see as she'd got Lady Cleone wiv 'er--a fine,
'igh-steppin', 'andsome young filly, I call 'er, an' no error.
'Where are you goin', Giant?' sez the Doochess. 'I'm a-goin' to drop
in on Mr. Bev'ley, mam, I am,' I sez. 'Then give 'im my love,' she
sez, 'an' tell 'im I shan't never forget 'is pride and 'is
selfishness,' she sez,--an' she give me a crown into the bargain,
she did. An' then--jest as the coach was a-drivin' off t'other
'un--the young 'un, give me this. 'For Mr. Bev'ley,' she sez in a
whisper, and--here it be, sir."