FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   2057   2058   2059   2060   2061   2062   2063   2064   2065   2066   2067   2068   2069   2070   2071   2072   2073   2074   2075   2076   2077   2078   2079   2080   2081  
2082   2083   2084   2085   2086   2087   2088   2089   2090   2091   2092   2093   2094   2095   2096   2097   2098   2099   2100   2101   2102   2103   2104   2105   2106   >>   >|  
he famous marshal of that name who fell on what is commonly called the field of glory. General Bekw---- an Englishman who was in the service of the King of Prussia, and was one of Pembroke's guests, received Schwerin politely, saying that he had seen his uncle die; at this the modest nephew drew the Order of the Black Eagle from his breast, and shewed it to us all covered with blood. "My uncle wore it on the day of his death, and the King of Prussia allowed me to keep it as a noble memorial of my kinsman." "Yes," said an Englishman who was present, "but the coat-pocket is not the place for a thing like that." Schwerin made as if he did not understand, and this enabled me to take his measure. Lord Pembroke took possession of the lady, whom I did not think worthy of being compared to Pauline. She was paler and shorter, and utterly deficient in Pauline's noble air; besides, when she smiled it spoiled her face, and this is a defect in a woman, to whom laughter should always be becoming. Lord Pembroke introduced us all to each other, and when he came to me Castelbajac said he was delighted to see me again, although he might easily have pretended not to know me under my name of Seingalt. We had a good English dinner, and afterwards the lady proposed a game of faro. My lord never played, so the general consented to amuse the company by holding the bank, and placed a hundred guineas and several bank notes on the table. There might be a thousand guineas in all. He then gave twenty counters to each punter, saying that every counter was worth ten shillings. As I only staked gold against gold I would not accept them. By the third deal Schwerin had lost his twenty counters and asked for twenty more; but the banker told him he must pay for them, and the self-styled field-marshal's nephew lapsed into silence and played no more. At the following deal Castelbajac was in the same position as his friend, and being on my side he begged to be allowed to take ten pieces. "You will bring me ill-luck," I said, coldly, warding off his hand; and he went out to the garden, no doubt to swallow the affront he had received. The lady said her husband had forgotten his pocketbook. An hour afterwards the game came to an end, and I took my leave, after inviting Lord Pembroke and the rest of the company to dine with me the next day. I got home at eleven o'clock without meeting any highwaymen as I had expected, indeed I had put up six gu
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   2057   2058   2059   2060   2061   2062   2063   2064   2065   2066   2067   2068   2069   2070   2071   2072   2073   2074   2075   2076   2077   2078   2079   2080   2081  
2082   2083   2084   2085   2086   2087   2088   2089   2090   2091   2092   2093   2094   2095   2096   2097   2098   2099   2100   2101   2102   2103   2104   2105   2106   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Pembroke

 
Schwerin
 

twenty

 

counters

 

allowed

 

Pauline

 

company

 

played

 

guineas

 

Castelbajac


marshal

 

Englishman

 

Prussia

 

nephew

 

received

 

banker

 

lapsed

 

position

 

famous

 

silence


styled

 

counter

 

commonly

 

punter

 

called

 

thousand

 

shillings

 

accept

 
friend
 

staked


eleven

 

inviting

 
expected
 

meeting

 

highwaymen

 

coldly

 

warding

 

begged

 

pieces

 

husband


forgotten

 

pocketbook

 
affront
 

swallow

 

garden

 
worthy
 

compared

 

modest

 

measure

 
possession