e, and the black-ink
lines introduced below, dipped his pen in the little stone ink-bottle, and,
squinting up at his lordship, said:

'How shall I begin?'

'Begin?' replied he. 'Begin--oh, let's see--begin--begin, "Dear Puff," to
be sure.'

'That'll do,' said Jack, writing away.

('Dear Puff!' sneered our friend, when he read it; 'the idea of a fellow
like that writing to a man of my p-r-o-r-perty that way.')

'Say "Scamp,"' continued his lordship, dictating again, '"is engaged, but
I'll be with you at feeding-time."'

('Scamp's engaged,' read Puffington, with a contemptuous curl of the lip,'
Scamp's engaged: I like the impudence of a fellow like that calling
noblemen nicknames.')

The letter concluded by advising Puffington to stick to the Beaufort
Justice blood, for there was nothing in the world like it. And now, having
got both our friends booked for visits, we must yield precedence to the
nobleman, and accompany him to Jawleyford Court.

[Illustration: LORD SCAMPERDALE AS HE APPEARED IN HIS 'SWELL' CLOTHES]

CHAPTER XXXV

LORD SCAMPERDALE AT JAWLEYFORD COURT

Although we have hitherto depicted Lord Scamperdale either in his great
uncouth hunting-clothes or in the flare-up red and yellow Stunner tartan,
it must not be supposed that he had not fine clothes when he chose to wear
them, only he wanted to save them, as he said, to be married in. That he
had fine ones, indeed, was evident from the rig-out he lent Jack when that
worthy went to Jawleyford Court, and, in addition to those which were of
the evening order, he had an uncommonly smart Stultz frock-coat, with a
velvet collar, facings, and cuffs, and a silk lining. Though so rough and
ready among the men, he was quite the dandy among the ladies, and was as
anxious about his appearance as a girl of sixteen. He got himself clipped
and trimmed, and shaved with the greatest care, curving his whiskers high
on to the cheekbones, leaving a great breadth of bare fallow below.

Baggs the butler was despatched betimes to Jawleyford Court with the
dog-cart freighted with clothes, driven by a groom to attend to the horses,
while his lordship mounted his galloping grey hack towards noon, and dashed
through the country like a comet. The people, who were only accustomed to
see him in his short, country-cut hunting-coats, baggy breeches, and
shapeless boots, could hardly recognize the frock-coated, fancy-vested,
military-trousered swell, as Lord Scamperdale.