The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-01-18
Wg1si1Gr. WIlI.

= N the .Vesr 1873 wss, - I have told
vou. housckceper 20 my Lord Millamant.
The itoryI am telling you has TO do with
tho winter of that same year. A bitter
winter Il was. Frosts three weeks long,
and a deiuge Of mud whenever there was
4 thaw. Goals, bread and meat, frightfnlly
dear. The poor crying out at to make
your heart break and the taxes as heavy
As hard dumplings.
Our taxes were paid for us, thank good
ness, even to that on the hair powder with
which the footmen plastered their heads.
We were well fed and well cared for /;
for my Lord Millamant was far too proud
and rich o nobleman to put as on board
wages when he went out Of town, and
always said he liked to see his servants
plump and rosy. II didn't matter to him
how much the bakers and butchers bills
came to. He had immense fortunes in
Darkshire, and two or three comfortable
things they used to call sinecures in those
days; besides, wasn't there his wife's, the
late Miss Jaghire's, rich Indian fortune
NV Lord Millament had been away from
London during the hunting season. He
had pack of hounds at Cartfoil Hall 1.-THE
family name was Cartfoil), Darkshire, and
had been entertaining all the gentlemen OF
the country side, with many of the nobi-
lily from London, in the true style of old
English hospitality.
All the grand furniture Of the mansion
on Hay Hill had been covered up since
September, when his Lordship and her
Ladyship went out of town. The carpets in
the grand saloon we're rolled up, the chan
deliers wrapped in yellow gauze the pic
lures the same-dreadful grim old pictures
they were, of noblemen in curly wigs, and
ladies in hoop petticoats and shockingly low
dresses-and the rich silver and parcel gilt
plate, of which my Lord Millamant, being
so great nobleman, had vast quantity,
was safe and sound in four oak chests,
cIamped with iron, at Messrs. Doublon u
Moydor's, the bankers, in Fleet street.
1t was good plan to send ones silver to
the bankers, for there were plenty OF
house breakers about in those lays, and no
police except the wheczy old constables
and the Bow-street red waistcoats.
1t was on the 2lst Of December, 1919,
that your humble servant received post
letter franked by Mr.. Tubwell, one of the
country members for Darkshire, for my
Lord Millamant was always too generous
with his franks, and never had any to spare
for himself.
The letter was from his Lordship, and in
his usual kind style, though to my very
great surprise told me that he and the
Countess were coming up to spend Christ
mas in London. All the time had been
in their service, then four years come that
Christmas day, they had held it at Cartfoil
Hall.
However, there was no mistaking my
Lords directions. He always gave them
himself, for her Lsdyship, saving her me-
mory, was one of the LATEST creatures liy-
ing, and never did anything much beyond
living on a sofa and talking TO her gray
and her green parrots. ...
was to have the carpets laid down, the
furniture thoroughly busted, all the beds
we'll aired; for my Lord was to bring COM
pany with him from Darkshire and was
to get the plate from the bankers and have
it all well cleaned for grand banquet my
Lord intended to give on Christmas day.
Enclosed in the letter was slip OF pa
per, containing an order to the bankers to
deliver the plate to me, or to Mr.. Beeswlng,
the butler and which, as far as / can re-
collect, ran thus:
"CARTFoI HALL, Dec. 10, 1919.
" MessrS. Doublon d Moydor:
"Please deliver the four boxes marked
A, b, C, d, containing the plate left in
your care, to Mrs. - or Samuel Bees
wing, my servants, bearer Of this.
(Signed) MILLAMANT."
There was my Lordship's signature, GER
taiuly; but somehow the name seemed
written in larger and more tremulous
hand than usual. The is wer'nt dotted,
nor the It's crossed in his LordShip's gene
raj style, but still the remainder OF the
letter was like enough to him, and the en-
velope bore the Cartfoil postmark.
I showed it to Mr.. Beeswing, who
laughed at my doubts; could swear the
handwriting was my Lords throughout, and
said it was very likely that there had been
merry doings at Cartfoil Hall during the
week, that my Lord had taken t'other bot
tie overnight, and that his hand was rather
shaky the next morning.
And you may be sure, added Beeswing,
that his Lordship punished the small beer,
if he did have t'other bottle.
The quality drank small beer then, tho
morning after. Soda water was invented
but was thought bad for the stomach, and
wasn't at all the fashion.
However, Notwithstanding Beeswing's
confidence in the letter, wasn't quite sa-
tisied. / dare say it's very nervous and
silly of me, Beeswing, said, but it be-
hooves us all to be careful. will take
this letter to Wild Mr.. Will. He knows
my Lords hand well enough, and l shall see
what he says to it.
Now, Wild Mr.. Will, as We servants,
many Of whom had known him since he
was a baby in long clothes, called him, was
to the world in general no other than the
Honorable William Cartfoil, my Lords
younger brother.
He was dreadfully wild young man,
Mr.. Will. He was fond Of wine and women,
and dice, and all sorts Of wickedness. He
had been captain in the Horse Guards,
but had sold out. He had fought scores
of duels, and killed two or three people
rest their souls and be merciful to his-but
he was one of the merriest, best-tempered
fellows yousever knew or saw.
My Lord was very fond of him, and had
paid his debts and set him up again, time
out Of number; but you could do nothing
with Wild Mr.. VIII. He was always get
ting into scrapes; and when his Lordship
got him out again, getting into new ones.
People said he lived mostly by playing at
cards and dice, and that his carvings on
with the actresses at the play-house-the
wicked, painted hussies-were dreadful.
/ knew he had borrowed money Of Bees
wing more chan once, and had at least
two-thirds of his sister-in.law's pin-money
every quarter; but still no one could help
liking him, and he was almost adored by
the servants.