The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1869-01-14
VOLUME 80.

that / received a post letter, franked by
Mr.. Tubwell, one of the county members
for Darkshre, for my Lord Millamant was
always too generous with his franks and
never had any to spare for himself
''This letter was from his lordship, and,
i'll 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 kept it at Cartioil
Hall.
"However, there was 40 mlstaAing my
lords directions. He always gave them
himself, for her ladyship, saving her mem
ory, was one of the LATEST creatures living,
and never did anything much beyond lying
on a sofa, and talking to her gray and
green parrot | was to have the carpets
laid down. the furniture thoroughly busted,
all the beds we'll aired for my lord was TO
bring company with him from Darkshire
aud was to get the plate from the bank
er's, and have it all we'll cleaned for grand
banquet my lord intended to give on Christ
mas day.
| I4uClUStN III tit lttiCi WIS Il sup vi pa
per, containing an order to the bankers to
deliver the plate to me, or to Mr.. Beeswing
the butler and which, as | can recollect,
ran thus =
CARTFoII HALL, Dec. 10, 1919.
Messrs. Doublon and Moydor Please de
liver the four boxes marked A, b, G., ID, CON
tsinng the plate left in your care, to Mrs. -,
or Samuel BeesWing, my servants, bearers OF
this. Signed, MIILAMANr.
"There was his lordship's signature, GER
tanly; but somehow the name seemed
written i'll a larger and more tremulous
hand than usual; bat still the remainder of
the letter was like enough to him, and the
cover bore the Cartfol postmark.
II showed it to Mr.. Beeswing, who laugh
ed, and said it was very likely that there
had been merry doings at Cartfoil Hall,
during the week, that my lord had taken
tother bottle over night, 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 didn't have t'other bottle
"The quality drank small beer then, the
morning after. Soda water was invented,
uut w dS ll1OuSll pul IOl lDG StOLIuCu, anu
wasn't at all the fashion,
"HIowever, | wasn't quite satisfied. Il
dare say it's very nervous and silly of me,
Beeswing, said, 'but it behooves us all
to be careful | will take this letter to
Wild Mr.. Will. He knows my lords hand
well enough, aud shall see what he says
to it,
"Now Wild Mr.. Will, as we servants,
many of whom had known him since he was
& baby in long clothes, called him, was to
the world III general no other than the Hon.
William Caritoil, my lords younger broth
er.
"lle was a dreadfully wild young man,
Mr.. Will, He was fond of wine and wo-
men, and dice, and all sorts of wickedness.
He had been captain in the horse guards,
but had sold out. He had fought half a
score Of duels, and killed two or three peo-
ple-rest their souls, and be merciful to
his--but he was one OF the merriest, best
tempered fellows you ever knew or saw.
My lord was very fond of him, and had
paid his debts and set him up again, times
out of number; but you could do moth
ing with Wild Mr.. Will He was always
getting into scrapes and when his lordship
had got HIM out again, getting into new
ones. People SAID he lived mostly now by
playing at cards aud dice, and that his car
ryings-on with the actresses at the play
house-the wicked, painted hussies were
dreadful. | knew he had borrowed money
OF Beeswing, more than once, and had, at
least, two-thirds of his sister-i in-laws pin
money every quarter; but still no one
could help liking him, and he was almost
adored by the servants.
81 took the letter to Wild Mr.. Will at
his lodgings in Great Ryder street, St.
James, He was drinking hook with a
captain Of dragons and low wretch Of
fellow that got his living by prize fighting,
but he came out on the landing to speak to
me. | showed him the letter, and limited
at my doubts.
"'Stuf and nonsense, lie cried, when
he had read the letter twice and held it up
to the light. It's Jack Cartfoil's fist for
five hundred guineas.' Only lords name
was John.) Newmarket to the knocker of
Newgate that its my brothers hand. No
body makes blots like these, except the Earl
of Millamant. Besides, don't you see that
he spells Swept 'swep' without the e !?
Jack never could spell. Trot you away to
the bankers my worthy soul, and get the
plate, and polish it all up, nice and bright,
for you know how particular my Lord Mil
lamant is, and what a pother there will be
if the coronet does not come we'll on, on the
spoons and forks. There, get along with
you, and there's guinea to drink my health
Stop-mind, for safety you lock the plate
up III my lady's boudoir.'
"Ot course, after William Cartloil had
given his opinion, hesitation was no longer
to be thought of. Beeswing and | took
hackney coach to Fleet street, and the head
cashier, when he ordered one of the porters
to carry the four plate-chests to the car
riage, said: My lords handwriting was
as plain as pikestaf, and he should like
to cash IL check for ten thousand with such
q Milamant signed to it,
''He gave me-such 4 nice gentleman as
he was, loo-a guinea to drink the health
OF the firm. All, how liberal people were
forty years ago
"We looked over the plate that evening,
counted everything; found all in accord
ancc with the list, and, with the assistance
of the three housemaids, | had everything