Page:A Legend of Camelot, Pictures and Poems, etc. George du Maurier, 1898.djvu/161

 British nobleman of the old school, ignoring alike old Spratt's respectful obeisances, and young Spratt's friendly and familiar farewell; while the ends of the two printed circulars stuck symmetrically out.

Buttons, who admired old Spratt more than anybody else in the world, fairly exploded at this piece of practical fun.

But Mrs. Spratt could contain herself no longer, and gave her Grandfather-in-law such a piece of her mind as at last enlightened him about the estimation in which she and her Swell friends held his powers of entertaining the company; so that he left the house bewildered and aghast, with tears in his poor old eyes, and all the jokes crushed out of his facetious old heart for many a long day to come.

Nor did he ever cross that threshold again, much to the grief of the twins, who, although æsthetically reared, could not help adoring their mirthful and indulgent old Great-Grandpapa, who made them laugh so.

And to Jack's grief also, for he had a warm heart, and was tenderly attached to the old man, in spite of his "larks."

But in the exciting whirl of his new life, in which the days flew by like hours, a very few hours sufficed to obliterate these fond regrets.

And Jack Spratt felt no little elation in the thought that all their associates, however frivolous, were at least "Ladies and Gentlemen," a term which was constantly on his lips at this time, and which he only applied to those who were alike well-born, fashionably dressed, highly connected, and "in Society."

And now that Mrs. Spratt had so effectually disposed of that inconvenient old Grandfather of his, he considered himself as good as any of them; and bore himself accordingly; being politely distant to his inferiors, affable to recognised merit of a high order, free and easy with his equals, the Swells, and acknowledging no superior under Royalty.



74