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Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers |
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Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers |
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346 ‘He has a tolerable share of everything that you lay claim to, my lord,’ said Ralph with a sneer. ‘‘Gad, so he has,’ replied the young man; ‘deyvle take me if I know which is master in my house, he or I.’ ‘I know,’ muttered Ralph. ‘I think I shall cut him off with a shilling,’ said the young nobleman, jocosely. ‘No, no, curse it,’ said Sir Mulberry. ‘When you come to the shilling--the last shilling--I’ll cut you fast enough; but till then, I’ll never leave you--you may take your oath of it.’ This sally (which was strictly founded on fact) was received with a general roar, above which, was plainly distinguishable the laughter of Mr Pyke and Mr Pluck, who were, evidently, Sir Mulberry’s toads in ordinary. Indeed, it was not difficult to see, that the majority of the company preyed upon the unfortunate young lord, who, weak and silly as he was, appeared by far the least vicious of the party. Sir Mulberry Hawk was remarkable for his tact in ruining, by himself and his creatures, young gentlemen of fortune--a genteel and elegant profession, of which he had undoubtedly gained the head. With all the boldness of an original genius, he had struck out an entirely new course of treatment quite opposed to the usual method; his custom being, when he had gained the ascendancy over those he took in hand, rather to keep them down than to give them their own way; and to exercise his vivacity upon them openly, and without reserve. Thus, he made them butts, in a double sense, and while he emptied them with great address, caused them to ring with sundry well-administered taps, for the diversion of society. The dinner was as remarkable for the splendour and |
