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W. .4. ..nm.. ....-.-.-,n.....V ....,
962
such a pass that it would have been hard to determine
whether it was originally white or black. Buthe. wore
a. moustache-la‘ shaggy‘ moustache too :-nothing in tlie
. meek and merciful way, but quite in the fierce’ and scorn-
ful style : the regular Satanic sort ofrthirng-.,-and he Wore,
besides, a vast Quantity ’of unbrushed .ha1r.’4'> Hejwas
very, dirty and and very jaunty; very;-bold andlrvery
mean; very swaggerin and very, slinking; very much
likea man who might ave been something better, and
unspeakably like a man who deserved to be something
worse.', . 1 T .
.“You were eaves-dropping at that door,,you vagae
bond I’’ said this gentleman. ‘ 2 , , N 1 ' .
Mr. Pecksnifi cast him old, as. Saint George might have
repudiated the [Dragon in that. an1.mval’s-last moment.
andsaid:,,.. ,, , ‘ ,‘,.
' '“W'11ex-e is’ Mrs. cLupin,’I wonder I’ can the ‘good
woman possibly be aware that there is’ a person! here
'who-’.’ " ,: 4 ’ ,'
‘ “ Stay‘ l” saidilthc gentleman) ‘f V.Vait'a bit.‘f She does
know.’ VVhutt en?” ‘ . ‘ .W n ' ‘ c ‘
f‘W'hat then, sir?” cried,Mr. Pecksniff, V “,VVhat
then’? , Do you know, sir, that I am the friend and rel-
ative 'of that slilck gentleman ‘Z That I am his protector,
his ruardian, is--" . . ‘ ., '
“gkot his niece’s husband,” interposed the stranger,
“ I'll be sworn ; for he was there before you.” ,” .
“ IVhat do you mean ‘2 ’? said Mr. Pecksnitf, with in-
dignant surprise., “ lVhat do you tell me, sir?”' ,
“ Wait a. bit I" cried the other. . “Perhaps you’ are a
cousin-,-the cousin who lives in this place?” ‘
“ I am thehcousin who lives in,this.p1ace,” replied the
manofwort.. ' "
“ %(our'name is I’ecksnifr'?” said the gentleman.‘ '
"tiS.’. , ;-‘ r, I er -'
“I am proud to know you,‘ and I ask your pardon,”
said the gentleman touching his hat,‘ and subsequently
divin behind his cravat for a shirt collar, which'h'ow-
ever e. did not succeed in bringing to’ the..surface.v
“ You behold in me, sir, one who has also an interest in
that gentleman up-stairs. VVait a bit.” ” 7 ‘ ,-
As he said this, he touched the tip of his’ high: nose,
by way of intimation thathe would letllr. Pecksnid
into a secret presently; and pulling off hishat, began
tosearch inside the crown among a massiof crumpled
-documents andsmall pieces of what may be called the
bark of broken cigars : whence he presently selected the
.cet;’e)ri) of an old letter, begrnned with dirt and redolent
so acco. , , A , , '
‘ “ Read that,” he cried,'giving it to Mr. Pecksnitf.
“This is addressed to Chevy Slymc, Esquire,” said
that gentleman. . ‘ -
“ You know Chevy Slyme, Esquire, I believe?” re-
turned the stranger. V
- ‘ Mr. Pecksniff shrugged his shoulders as though he
would say, “ I know
sorry for-.it.” . . V
" Very good,” remarked the gentleman. “ That is my
interest and business here.” lVith that he ‘made another
dive for his shirt collar, and brought up a string; ' , '
.. "Now this is very distressing, my friend,” said Mr.’
Pecksnifi, shaking his head and smiling composedly.
“ It is very distressing to me, to be compelled to say that
you are not the person you claim to be. I know Mr.’
Slyme, my friend : this will not do : honesty, is the best
policy :, you had better not ; you had indeed.” ‘
“Stop I”. cried the gentleman, ‘stretchingforth his
right arm, which was so tightly wedged into his thread-
bzge sleeve.that it lookedlike a ‘cloth Isausage.“ ‘,‘ SV'ai:
3 ltl’."'" , " "
He paused to establish himself immediately in front of
the fire, with his back towards it. Then gathering the
skirts of his coat under his left arm, and smoothing his
there is such a person, and I am
"moustache with his right thumbeand forefingcr,ehe re-
-sumcd : . , y
’ “ I understand your mistake, and I am not offended.
VVhy? 'Because it’s complimentary. ,You supposed '
would set myself up for Chevy Slyme. Sir, ifethere is a
man on earth whom a gentlcmauwould . feel proud and
honoured ‘to‘ be mistaken for, that man is mv friend
Slyme. For he is, without an exception, the highest-
Inindod,' the most independent-spirited, most original,
0H;1RZEs7‘DI01.'LuvS” WORKS;
spiritual, classical, talented, the most thoroughly. Shak-
sperian, if not Miltonic, and at the same time ‘the most
disgustinglyurnappreciated dog Iknow.‘: But, sir, I have
not the vanity, to attempt to pass for'Slyme.j’ Any ‘other
man in the wide.’ world I am "equal ‘to ;‘but Slyme is‘, I
frankly" confess, agreatvmany cuts above me.‘ There.
fore ou are’wrong.’.”. , ' "“" ., ' V
,“ judged from this,", said Mr. Pccksniff, holdmgout
the cover of the letter. ‘ ’ j " ‘f ’
“No‘donbt,you‘did,”returned the gentleman. “But,
Mr. Pecksnifi, the whole thing resolves itself into an in-
stance of the peculiarities of genius. Every man of true
genius has his peculiarity.’ Sir,'the peculiarity of my
friend Slyme is, that he is alwa s, waiting round the
corner.” He is perpetually roundtlie, corner, sir.“ He is
round thccorner at this instant. .Now,” said ‘the‘gent.le-
manfshaking his forefinger before his nose, and planting
his legs widernpart as he looked attentively‘ in Mr. ‘Peck’
sniff’s face,’ “ that ‘is a remarkably, curious and“intercst- '
ing traitin Mr." Slymc’s character,‘ and wl1encverSlyrne’s
life comes to be written, that trait must ,be"thoro,u'ghly
worked out by’ his biographer, or' socicty",will not
satisfied.‘ Observe me, society will not be satisfied !’f
‘ .MrL Pecksniif coughed. ; ‘ , ' ’ ‘ ., '
‘1Slyme’s biographer, sir, whoever he may be,” resumed
the gentleman, “must apply to me; for if I am 'gone't0
' that what’s-his-name from which no thingumbob comes
back, he must apply to my executors for leave to search
among my papers. , I have ,taken,a few notes in my p901‘
way, .- of .some of that man’s proceedings-'-my adopted
brother, ‘sir,--which would amazeyou.’ He made‘ uscvof
an expression, sir, only on thefifteenth 'of lastunontll
when he ’couldu’t meet a little bill andltho ’othcr, party
wouldn't renew, "which would have done honour to :1-
poleon Bonaparte in addressingtlie Frencli army.” ‘fl’
“ And pray,” asked Mr. Pccksnifl’, obviously not quite
at his case, “ what may be Mr. Slyme’s business lieI‘(‘,“:if
I may be permitted to inquire, who amrompellcd by.u
regard for my own character, to disavow all interest in
his proceedings? ”. ‘ ‘ , ‘ L i 7 ‘
, “ In the first place,”, returned‘the'gcntleman, “you
will permit me to say, that I object. to that remark, and
that I strongly'and indignantly protest against it on be-
half of my friend‘Slymc. ,In the next placc‘,'you’ yvlll
give meelcave to introduce myself. My name, sir, is TJgg'-
The name: of Montague Ti'rg will’perhaps’ be familiar‘ I0
you, in connection with the most ircxuarkableevcnts of
the Peninsular I.Var?” . - ' r ‘ ‘-
.Mr. Pccksniif gently shook his head.‘ ‘ ' ‘ [
‘,‘ No matter,” said the gentleman. “ That man was
my, father,‘ and Ibear his name. I‘am consequently
proud-proud as Lucifer. Excuse me one moment.
desire my friend Slyme to be present at the remainder Of
this conference." , , - , " " , . ‘,-
, With this announcement ho hurried away’ to the outer
door'of the Blue Dragon, and almost imrnediat,ely‘rC-
turned with a companion shorter than“himself, who wit-‘4
wrapped inan old blue camletcloak with alining 9f
faded scarlet. His sharp features bein Tmuch pinched
and nipped by long waiting in the‘ cold;: and hisfstmg‘
gling red whiskers and frowzy hair being more than usu-
ally dishevelled from the same cause,’hc certainly looked
rather unwholcsomegind uncomfortable than Shaklslw‘
rian or Miltonic. , ’ ‘ ' , ‘ j “
‘ if NOWL’. said Mr. 'I‘igg,‘c1upping“one hand‘ on the
shoulder of his prepossessing friend, and calling'MY'-
Pecksniffs attention to him ,with the other, “$0” .t.“'0
arefrelated; and,relations,' never did agree,”a11d‘nC“01'
will": which‘is'a wise dispensation and nn=ine<'it,=%"1“
thing,'orithere',would be none but family parties, and
everybodyin the world wouldlbore everybody'elS0.-m
deathl V If you were on good terms,‘ I should consid91'3'0“
a most confoundedly unnatural pain; but standing 10’
wards each other as you do,’ I lookupon you as 11- COUPE
of devilish deep-thoughled fellows, who may be reasoned
with to any extent.” ‘ ' ’ ‘ ' ' , ‘ ,
Ilerc )Ir.‘Chevy Slyme, whose greatabilities seemed
;
one and all to point towards the sneaking quarter of‘ me’
morahcompass, nudged his friend stealthily with , 111$ .01‘
bow, and wliispered in hisear.‘ ‘P’, ' .. I. V
“ Chiv,” said Mr. Tigg aloud, in the high tone 0f 9"‘;
who was not to be tampered with. i “ I shall come to “la