Such was the visitor who
doffed his three-cornered hat in Gashford's presence, and waited,
leering, for his notice.
'Ah! Dennis!' cried the secretary. 'Sit down.'
'I see my lord down yonder--' cried the man, with a jerk of his thumb
towards the quarter that he spoke of, 'and he says to me, says my lord,
"If you've nothing to do, Dennis, go up to my house and talk with Muster
Gashford." Of course I'd nothing to do, you know. These an't my working
hours. Ha ha! I was a-taking the air when I see my lord, that's what
I was doing. I takes the air by night, as the howls does, Muster
Gashford.'
And sometimes in the day-time, eh?' said the secretary--'when you go out
in state, you know.'
'Ha ha!' roared the fellow, smiting his leg; 'for a gentleman as 'ull
say a pleasant thing in a pleasant way, give me Muster Gashford agin'
all London and Westminster! My lord an't a bad 'un at that, but he's a
fool to you. Ah to be sure,--when I go out in state.'
'And have your carriage,' said the secretary; 'and your chaplain, eh?
and all the rest of it?'
'You'll be the death of me,' cried Dennis, with another roar, 'you will.
But what's in the wind now, Muster Gashford,' he asked hoarsely, 'Eh?
Are we to be under orders to pull down one of them Popish chapels--or
what?'
'Hush!' said the secretary, suffering the faintest smile to play upon
his face.
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