ce with Monsieur
de Florac, whom he perfectly well recollected at Baden, but had thought
proper to forget on the one or two occasions when they had met in public
since the Vicomte's arrival in this country. There are few men who can
drop and resume an acquaintance with such admirable self-possession as
Barnes Newcome. When, over our dessert, by which time all tongues were
unloosed and each man talked gaily, George Warrington feelingly thanked
Barnes in a little mock speech, for his great kindness in noticing us,
presenting him at the same time to Florac as the ornament of the City,
the greatest banker of his age, the beloved kinsman of their friend
Clive, who was always writing about him; Barnes said, with one of his
accustomed curses, he did not know whether Mr. Warrington was "chaffing"
him or not, and indeed could never make him out. Warrington replied that
he never could make himself out: and if ever Mr. Barnes could, George
would thank him for information on that subject.

Florac, like most Frenchmen very sober in his potations, left us for
a while over ours, which were conducted after the more liberal English
manner, and retired to smoke his cigar on the terrace. Barnes then
freely uttered his sentiments regarding him, which were not more
favourable than those which the young gentleman generally emitted
respecting gentlemen whose backs were turned. He had known a little of
Florac the year before at Baden: he had been mixed up with Kew in that
confounded row in which Kew was hit; he was an adventurer, a pauper, a
blackleg, a regular Greek; he had heard Florac was of old family,
that was true; but what of that? He was only one of those d---- French
counts; everybody was a count in France confound 'em! The claret was
beastly--not fit for a gentleman to drink!--He swigged off a great
bumper as he was making the remark: for Barnes Newcome abuses the
men and things which he uses, and perhaps is better served than more
grateful persons.

"Count!" cries Warrington, "what do you mean by talking about beggarly
counts? Florac's family is one of the noblest and most ancient
in Europe. It is more ancient than your illustrious friend, the
barber-surgeon; it was illustrious before the house, ay, or the pagoda
of Kew was in existence." And he went on to describe how Florac by the
demise of his kinsman, was now actually Prince de Moncontour, though he
did not choose to assume that title. Very likely the noble Gascon
drink in whi