never said a rude word; but she'd a genius--a genius which many women
have--of making A HELL of a house, and tort'ring the poor creatures of
her family, until they were wellnigh drove mad.

Miss Matilda Griffin was a good deal uglier, and about as amiable as
her mother-in-law. She was crooked, and squinted; my lady, to do her
justice, was straight, and looked the same way with her i's. She was
dark, and my lady was fair--sentimental, as her ladyship was cold. My
lady was never in a passion--Miss Matilda always; and awfille were the
scenes which used to pass between these 2 women, and the wickid, wickid
quarls which took place. Why did they live together? There was the
mistry. Not related, and hating each other like pison, it would surely
have been easier to remain seprat, and so have detested each other at a
distans.

As for the fortune which old Sir George had left, that, it was clear,
was very considrabble--300 thousand lb. at the least, as I have heard
say. But nobody knew how it was disposed of. Some said that her ladyship
was sole mistriss of it, others that it was divided, others that she had
only a life inkum, and that the money was all to go (as was natral) to
Miss Matilda. These are subjix which are not praps very interesting to
the British public, but were mighty important to my master, the
Honrable Algernon Percy Deuceace, esquire, barrister-at-law, etsettler,
etsettler.

For I've forgot to inform you that my master was very intimat in this
house; and that we were now comfortably settled at the Hotel Mirabew
(pronounced Marobo in French), in the Rew delly Pay, at Paris. We had
our cab, and two riding horses; our banker's book, and a thousand pound
for a balantz at Lafitt's; our club at the corner of the Rew Gramong;
our share in a box at the oppras; our apartments, spacious and elygant;
our swarries at court; our dinners at his excellency Lord Bobtail's
and elsewhere. Thanks to poar Dawkins's five thousand pound, we were as
complete gentlemen as any in Paris.

Now my master, like a wise man as he was, seaing himself at the head of
a smart sum of money, and in a country where his debts could not bother
him, determined to give up for the present every think like gambling--at
least, high play; as for losing or winning a ralow of Napoleums at whist
or ecarty, it did not matter; it looks like money to do such things, and
gives a kind of respectabilaty. "But as for play, he wouldn't--oh no!
not for worlds!--do