ked his manners, his riding, and his
good loox; and being a pervinew herself had a dubble respect for real
aristocratick flesh and blood. Miss's love, on the contry, was all flams
and fury. She'd always been at this work from the time she had been at
school, where she very nigh run away with a Frentch master; next with
a footman (which I may say, in confidence, is by no means unnatral or
unusyouall, as I COULD SHOW IF I LIKED); and so had been going on sins
fifteen. She reglarly flung herself at Deuceace's head--such sighing,
crying, and ogling, I never see. Often was I ready to bust out laffin,
as I brought master skoars of rose-colored billydoos, folded up like
cockhats, and smellin like barber's shops, which this very tender young
lady used to address to him. Now, though master was a scoundrill and no
mistake, he was a gentlemin, and a man of good breading; and miss CAME
A LITTLE TOO STRONG (pardon the wulgarity of the xpression) with her
hardor and attachmint, for one of his taste. Besides, she had a crookid
spine, and a squint; so that (supposing their fortns tolrabbly equal)
Deuceace reely preferred the mother-in-law.

Now, then, it was his bisniss to find out which had the most money. With
an English famly this would have been easy: a look at a will at Doctor
Commons'es would settle the matter at once. But this India naybob's
will was at Calcutty, or some outlandish place; and there was no getting
sight of a coppy of it. I will do Mr. Algernon Deuceace the justass to
say, that he was so little musnary in his love for Lady Griffin, that he
would have married her gladly, even if she had ten thousand pounds less
than Miss Matilda. In the meantime, his plan was to keep 'em both in
play, until he could strike the best fish of the two--not a difficult
matter for a man of his genus: besides, Miss was hooked for certain.

CHAPTER II.

"HONOR THY FATHER."

I said that my master was adoard by every person in my Lady Griffin's
establishmint. I should have said by every person excep one,--a young
French gnlmn, that is, who, before our appearants, had been mighty
partiklar with my lady, ockupying by her side exackly the same
pasition which the Honrable Mr. Deuceace now held. It was bewtiffle
and headifying to see how coolly that young nobleman kicked the poar
Shevalliay de L'Orge out of his shoes, and how gracefully he himself
stept into 'em. Munseer de L'Orge was a smart young French jentleman,
of about my master's