The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-07-24 00:00:00

SUPPLEMENT TO THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

saloon, a little disapointed, it must be confessed, at
being " frustrate of his will." In a few moments,
however, he regained his equanimity, and though he
paused occasionally, to observe the different games,
the thought of his trifling loss never onced occurred
to him.

An hour or two having passed in this manner, Lady
Acton, who began to feel rather tired, suggested that
it was time for them to return to Frankfort.
" By all means," said Lord Acton, " let us go."
This was more easily said than done, a slight impe-
diment to their departure occurring in the shape of the
Ober-Kellner of the establishment, who, with a smil-
ing face, approached Lord Acton, and, making a low
bow, presented a paper, on which, in minute hierogly-
phics, were traced the following interesting parti-
culars :---

" LECHNUNG

2 Diners
1 Flasche Stein (Cabinet) Wein
1 „ Champagner-Wein
1 Halbe-Flache Liebfraumilch
Maraschino di Zara
2 Tasses Cafe
Cigarren
2 Fliischer Selters-Wassers
Cognac

fl. kr.
.. 3 30
.. 6 00
.. 4 30
.. 2 00

. 0 40
. 0 30
. 0 30
~ 0 30
. 0 40

Sununa...... ...... 18 50"

In plain English, the dinner, wine, and etceteras,
came to exactly one pound thirteen shillings and a
penny halfpenny.
" By George !" exclaimed Lord Acton, as he glanced
at the bill, " I quite forgot all about this ! I haven't
a farthing left! What's to be done ?"

The expression of his face was so comical in this
dilemma, that Lady Acton burst out laughing.
" So much for turning gambler," she said.
" What am I to do ?" repeated Lord Acton, looking
full at the Ober-Kellner.

" Der Herr will pay his bill," replied the head-
waiter, rather puzzled at the question ; " it was quite
correct---ganz richtig."_

" Oh, quite right, I dare say ; I don't dispute a syl-
lable of it, but unluickily, I haven't got any money."
" Ach !" exclaimed the Ober-Kellner, beginning to
look grim ; " wherefore, sir, you dine without money ?"
" I had money enough when I came here," retorted
Lord Acton, " but the fact is, I lost it all at rouge-et-
noir, I think you call it !"
The Ober-Kellner shrugged his shoulders, as much
as to say he didn't believe a word of it.
" I shall speak to my masters," he said ; but with-
out quitting the place, where he stood confronting
Lord and Lady Acton, he called out to another waiter
who was passing by, " Horen-Sie Mahl, August ; diese
zwey, Personen konnten nicht Ihre Rechnung bezah-
len. Bittet euch den Herrn Haupt Kursaals-President
gleich hier zu kommen!" ("Hark'e, Augustus ; these
two persons can't pay their bill. Ask the principal
president of the saloon to come here directly.") And
having rapidly delivered himself of this jargon, he
stuck his arms a-kimbo, and with a leonine aspect con-
tinued to glare on the defaulters.
A This is too absurd," said Lord Acton, addressing
his wife.

" Rather good fun, I think," returned Constance,
still laughing.
" Ach ! mein Gott !" growled the Ober-Kellner,
" Dies'ist ein' unverschamte Schwindleri !" (" Oh !
my God ; this is an impudent swindle !")
The atmosphere of a gaming-house is of so stimu-
lating a nature that, slow as the Germans are in gene-
ral, at Homburg they are actually quick, and a proof of
this was given by the speedy appearance of the gentle-
man with the long official title.
He was a stout, full-faced, smooth-visaged character,
in spectacles, with a massive gold chain stretched across
his person, a ponderous signet-ring on each forefinger,
and the ribbon of the most noble and princely order of
" The Golden Sausage" in his button-hole, so that his
make-up formed a kind of cross between a professor
who is not a baron, and a baron who is not a professor.
With a volubility which, most likely, he could not
have displayed under other circumstances, the Ober-
Kellner, in his own tongue, described the state of the
case, not forgetting the fact that the lady-delinquent
appeared to him the worst of the two, her clear, merry
laughter still ringing in his ears.
At the close of the Ober-Kellner's communication,
the president of the casino turned his full-orbed spec-
tacles on the defaulting parties, and, after a silent scru-

tiny of some moments, said, in grave but polite accents,
"Is it possible, sir : I hope that we have here some
mistake ?"
" I am afraid not," replied Lord Acton, coolly.
" Must one understand," pursued the president,
translating his German thought into formal English,
"that you have here two dinners eaten without money?"
" Not exactly : I had more than enough for a dozen
dinners when we sat down ; but, the fact is, I lost it
all in this room afterwards, without recollecting the
bill."
" Ah !" said the president, opening his mouth very
wide and then shutting it again with a snap, " One
forgets a bill of eighteen florins, fifty kreutzers, in an
eye-twinkling ! Yes, well. And one loses all his money
in yet another ! So ! One may play here many games,
sir, and the newest is not this."
" You don't suppose," said Lord Acton, whose
temper was beginning to rise at the thought of his
statement being disbelieved—" you don't suppose, sir,
that I came to Homburg with the intention of cheat-
ing you out of a paltry dinner ?"
" Two dinners—with wines of first quality, besides
numerous extras," returned the President with imper-
turbable gravity.
" Two, then, if you like, and the whole lot of it ;
does that make any difference ?"
"To the establishment : yes. To those also who
with empty pockets dine. This is a thing which
arrives when one money has ! Truly !"
" Ach ! mein Gott !" ejaculated the Ober-Kellner.
" But I tell you," said Lord Acton, " I had money
when I came here, and that I fooled it away at one of
your tables.,"
" A past history that. Others the same tale have
told. It comes often. You have here acquaintance ?"
"No ; I don't know a soul in the place."
" That astonishes me not. So I thought in the be-
ginning. You have then a passport ?"
" Of course I have."
" Might I have the pleasure to see it ?"
" I haven't got it about me. • I left it at Frankfort."
"So ! Is it possible for you to have a name P"
" My name is Acton—Lord Acton."
" Very good. Perhaps to the noble Sir Howard
Cavendish related ?"
" For that matter, I am related both to the
Howards and the Cavendishes, though I don't know
the man you speak of. But this is all nonsense.
What earthly difference can it make to you whether I
pay your bill to-night or to-morrow ? We are staying
at the Hotel de Russie, on the Zeil ; I must owe you
the money till the morning, when my courier shall
bring it over. Lady Acton wants to go away ; it's
getting late, and if we don't go now we shall miss the
last train. That reminds me, by-the-way, that I
didn't get a return ticket, Constance. Your waiter,
here, can go with us to the station, pay for our places,
and see us off. I shall remember him in the morning."
" Gott in Himmel !" exclaimed the excitable Ober-
Kellner. "Es gefallt mir erstaunlich ! That I like !
I shall pay your places ! I shall see you off! Ach !
Yes ! Off, indeed ! Remember me in the morning !
Ja wohl ! I you the whole of my never-ending life !"
" That waiter is quite impayable," said Constance,
who appeared to be vastly entertained with the whole
business. " I must not forget a word of this. Let
him go on, George. If you knock him down too soon,
as you seem inclined to do, you will spoil the thing
altogether. Oh, how mamma will laugh when I
describe the scene !"
"So!" said the Haupt-Kursaals-President, "mamma
will laugh ? That shall we see ! sir," he continued,
turning to Lord Acton. " I have heard your story.
Now be so good to attend to me. You come here two
whole strangers. You dine, you amuse yourselves,
and a long reckoning made, you prepare to depart ;
then you say, Oh, I have no money,' and relate
losses which, to my understanding, are fables. I
demand your passport, without which no one in Ger-
many travels. You answer it is somewhere. I ask
your name. You tell me of Lord Somebody, never
perhaps till now heard of. Then again you want to
go quickly ; even desire this Kellner's money for your
journey. And the joke is so good, that all the while
the lady is laughing. All of this," added the Presi-
dent, assuming a still more magisterial air, " makes
it to me transpicuous that you appear in Homburg for
a bad purpose, and now what is to be done we know.
Karl ! Send for the Polizei !"

At this intimation, which ga
that looked really serious, Lady
seat.

" Surely," she said, with a p:
be no necessity for this. You c.
are the kind of people you are tl
nothing about you,George, to gi
till we can send over the wretch
But no, you never even wear a
the diamond guard you gave me.
till to-morrow, and let us be go?
She tore off the guard as s'
eyes glittering with anger like
as they met the light, and gave
President's glance was fixed upon
put the pledge into his hand, 141
own and made a rapid motion ac
President started back without '
as quick as thought performed a
ment : the next movement—l
astonishment of Lady Acton—]
foe were shaking hands.
" Hier kommt der Polizei," sh(
Kellner, rushing in.
" There is no occasion for his
Haupt -Kursaals -President. " :
Miladi's pardon for the inconve.
them. Order a carriage. Karl,
time to get to the station. To-m
have the honour to wait on you
you can return this trifle."—(
monnaie as he spoke.)—" And p
thousand pardons, Madame, tha'
wear her ring again."
And with more compliments an,
than can be told, the President
the strangers to the door, and r'
scraping till the carriage was oul
" What on earth was the Ta'
sudden change in this man's ire,
Acton, as soon as they had di's'
"I am a P.G.M., love." 00
" And what's that, George r
" Past Grand Master. It strui
be a Mason, so I gave him the s]
it—and here we are."—Bentley'