To make friends with any one implies concessions on both sides; and what could I concede? What could I say of him, but that he had proved himself a villain and a fool, and the worse man?
'Well,' said I, 'here has been rather a poor piece of business, which I dare say you can have no pleasure in calling to mind; and, to say truth, I would as readily forget it myself.Suppose we try.
Take back your pistol, which smells very ill; put it in your pocket or wherever you had it concealed.There! Now let us meet for the first time.- Give you good morning, Mr.Fenn! I hope you do very well.I come on the recommendation of my kinsman, the Vicomte de St.Yves.'
'Do you mean it?' he cried.'Do you mean you will pass over our little scrimmage?'
'Why, certainly!' said I.'It shows you are a bold fellow, who may be trusted to forget the business when it comes to the point.
There is nothing against you in the little scrimmage, unless that your courage is greater than your strength.You are not so young as you once were, that is all.'
'And I beg of you, sir, don't betray me to the Vis-count,' he pleaded.'I'll not deny but what my 'eart failed me a trifle; but it was only a word, sir, what anybody might have said in the 'eat of the moment, and over with it.'
'Certainly,' said I.'That is quite my own opinion.'
'The way I came to be anxious about the Vis-count,' he continued, 'is that I believe he might be induced to form an 'asty judgment.
And the business, in a pecuniary point of view, is all that I could ask; only trying, sir - very trying.It's ****** an old man of me before my time.You might have observed yourself, sir, that I 'aven't got the knees I once 'ad.The knees and the breathing, there's where it takes me.But I'm very sure, sir, I address a gentleman as would be the last to make trouble between friends.'
'I am sure you do me no more than justice,' said I; 'and I shall think it quite unnecessary to dwell on any of these passing circumstances in my report to the Vicomte.'
'Which you do favour him (if you'll excuse me being so bold as to mention it) exac'ly!' said he.'I should have known you anywheres.
May I offer you a pot of 'ome-brewed ale, sir? By your leave!
This way, if you please.I am 'eartily grateful - 'eartily pleased to be of any service to a gentleman like you, sir, which is related to the Vis-count, and really a fambly of which you might well be proud! Take care of the step, sir.You have good news of 'is 'ealth, I trust? as well as that of Monseer the Count?'
God forgive me! the horrible fellow was still puffing and panting with the fury of his assault, and already he had fallen into an obsequious, wheedling familiarity like that of an old servant, -
already he was flattering me on my family connections!
I followed him through the house into the stable-yard, where I observed the driver washing the cart in a shed.He must have heard the explosion of the pistol.He could not choose but hear it: the thing was shaped like a little blunderbuss, charged to the mouth, and made a report like a piece of field artillery.He had heard, he had paid no attention; and now, as we came forth by the back-
door, he raised for a moment a pale and tell-tale face that was as direct as a confession.The rascal had expected to see Fenn come forth alone; he was waiting to be called on for that part of ***ton, which I had already allotted to him in fancy.
I need not detain the reader very long with any description of my visit to the back-kitchen; of how we mulled our ale there, and mulled it very well; nor of how we sat talking, Fenn like an old, faithful, affectionate dependant, and I - well! I myself fallen into a mere admiration of so much impudence, that transcended words, and had very soon conquered animosity.I took a fancy to the man, he was so vast a humbug.I began to see a kind of beauty in him, his APLOMB was so majestic.I never knew a rogue to cut so fat; his villainy was ample, like his belly, and I could scarce find it in my heart to hold him responsible for either.He was good enough to drop into the autobiographical; telling me how the farm, in spite of the war and the high prices, had proved a disappointment; how there was 'a sight of cold, wet land as you come along the 'igh-road'; how the winds and rains and the seasons had been misdirected, it seemed 'o' purpose'; how Mrs.Fenn had died - 'I lost her coming two year agone; a remarkable fine woman, my old girl, sir! if you'll excuse me,' he added, with a burst of humility.In short, he gave me an opportunity of studying John Bull, as I may say, stuffed naked - his greed, his usuriousness, his hypocrisy, his perfidy of the back-stairs, all swelled to the superlative - such as was well worth the little disarray and fluster of our passage in the hall.