The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-06-02
INSCRUTABLE PEOPLE.
BY CHARLES LEVER.


life, and | feel must continue so to the end. !
have, however the satisiactiOn-a meagre one, l
own-tO know that the shrewdest men of my
acquaintance have not had any more success than
myself in piercing the mysteries of these beings,
and frankly admit that they have no solution to
the riddle they present
The cOmmOnest form of these nscrutablcs is
the fellow who lives handsomely, going every
where doing everything, apparently denying
himself nothing, and possessing absolutely that
same nothing for his whole legitimate income.
! know several of these. Some of them [ can
youch for are not players OF any game, nor fol-
lowers OF any rich man, consequently not deriy-
ing support from these two. the most probable,
sources OF needy men: and yet | have met these
men about in the world, freely mixing in
society which one would say is likely to ask
some guarantees for the right of entrance: and
without having any intimacies anywhere, APP
parently acquainted with every one, and gener-
ally regarded as necessary adjuncts of all large
gatherings How they do it, even for a season,
/ cannot imagine: but the fact is, they can con-
tinue this for q life long.
can recall one; he has come to my mind ut
the moment | am writing-a clever fellow ccr-
tainly, but probably ought not TO include him
among the inscrutables; for he had indeed a
quality which, well moulded and manipulated
with the skill certain men know how to employ.
is OF itself a guarantee Of worldly success. This
man was a nobody; he had no belongings: he
had even the taintest right to the name-a very
good One-that he bore. Whatever means he
were soon expended, for he made his running
from the post and began by contestinga borough
against a well-known man of station and large
fortune. He failed of course-failure was inevi-
table; but his defeat was better than many
men victories: he was goOd-tempered under
IL, so generous, hearty, so gentemanlike.
so devoid of all the petty spite and malice of
a beaten man, and so ready to admit he had
been beaten fairly, and that he had not 4
word to say against his opponent. Through
all this the quality l have referred to us
his speciality carried him splendidly. The
fellows impudence was bOundless; he had pro-
baby run himself TO the last ten pounds of his
eXchequer by the contest, and yet he treated the
opposite candidate MS though he was exactly his
equal feelmgly alluded to the heavy cost each
had inflicted on the other and talked as though
drawing checks on Drummond was pastime
which he liked and could afford himself. The
unfailing good humor, the genialty that never
was soured by any contrariety, the temper that
no Outrages rutiled, won so completely on the
victorious candidate that he actually made q
friend of him, and they became inseparable. Il
knew how it would turn out said y, the
adventurer in question. Il saw something OF
! this early in life. The Duke of Lexington gave
me black eye when ! was at Rugby, and |
made him my friend for life by the way took
| it. All men can do the grand cOndesceusiOn
dodge the real test of a clever fellow is TO take
! his kicking gracefully
So far as | am aware, y had not many
more reverses to try him. / remember him in
| the House; he sat for a considerable town.
saw his name amongst Sir Robert Peel's guests
at Drayton. He had made two or three effective
! speeches, and was not unlikely 10 have office
| offered him. Where / saw him last was at an
embassy abroad where he dined with his newly
| married wifi, an immensely rich widow, and
where the entertainment was given specially in
| their honor. His manner then was grandiOse
| and almost naughty. He had evidently scored
the game he played for, and had taken leave of
the sUbjunctiVe tense forever. repeat, then,
this man has no right to come into my category
of nscrutables; that grand stock of impotence
he possessed was California ia itself.
The men who really interest me are the fell
lows so utterly helpless as 10 seem objects of a
national charity, and yet who eat Venison and
drink '4S claret every day, with apparently a
more strongly vested right in these condiments
than an Irish bishop has now in his See acres
1t is not alone that they do nothing, but they
are directly incapable of doing anything They
aid no one, instruct no one, interest no one
They do not even point the moral of th'
nOthingness of existence, and show us that lifl
is WEAKNESS and ennOi for the fellows look a
if they like il, and on the whole appear jolly.
| never knew one OF these men refuse a sub
scripton to anything, be ii hunt-fund, pic
mic. regatta or a local charity. | do not know
if they aid missionary labor, but am certail
they would if they were asked. l once inquired
from the secretary of a well-knOwn institution
and learned that these people always pay AM
that they are the only ones VINO need never D
dmned Who can explain this mystery? VIII
can say out of what secret-service fund thes
men draw their eXtraordinaries
As to tips 10 gamekeepers, beaters, whips
, and funkies, generally, they are far and ava
the most splendidly generous; while in the highC
class of black-mail, which consists in birthda
! ! "reminiscences, bOn-bOns and bouquets, there
? a blended taste and elegance in their present
, which make them perfectly distinctive
Why will no GOYernmenJ-seelng to Whi
straits financial difficulties drive Governments
! send ont q commission to see how this is don,
Y Why will no Chancellor OF the EXchequer il
! Ouire how liabilities are met with no means an
I extravagances INDUCED in without asset
Surely this is a more interesting object OF di
: coyery than a Northwest Passage or the sourC
of an African river.
Nor is It alone that these men dine better an
] dress better than you or me, but they mo'
p habitually in circles where we only arrive att
some success. As q class, they are not given
q marriage: otherwise l am confident they won
: nick no all the heiresses OF the kingdom, an
o leave nothing but untochercd lasses Tor the ear
e ! and YisCOunts.
That very vulgar name Tor vulgar quait
% oCbeek - explains great deal, but is no re
q exponent of this puzzle Cheek scores sma
g isolated dropping suceesses-passes man IN
a n noll-room tninvited admits him TO iiowe
= show without a ticket, blends him with gror
Is he has no pretension to be amongst and occ
g. sionally gets him the recognition that Is give
q by habit Cheek will do these, but no more.
{. will no more serve to carry man ON throus
[e the conflict of life than will llIe-DelJ noaJ y'
le across the Atlantic
IS Cheek, besides, is the quality OF the very nun
n bost order of impudent men. lhe great pr
n fpggOrs of the arL-the Grand Capltall5tS-t