Page:Paul Clifford Vol 1.djvu/277

Rh trust they may continue with me to my dying day."

Here the Doctor's servant entered with (we borrow a phrase from the novel of * * * *) "the tea-equipage," and Mrs. Slopperton betaking herself to its superintendence, enquired with more composure than hitherto had belonged to her demeanour, what sort of a looking creature the ruffian was?

"I will tell you, my dear—I will tell you, Miss Lucy, all about it. I was walking home from Mr. Slowforth's, with his money in my pocket, thinking, my love, of buying you that topaz cross you wished to have."

"Dear good man!" cried Mrs. Slopperton; "what a fiend it must have been to rob so excellent a creature!"

"And," resumed the Doctor, "it also occurred to me, that the Madeira was nearly out—the Madeira, I mean, with the red seal; and I was thinking it might not be amiss to devote part of the money to buy six dozen more; and the remainder, my love, which would be about one pound eighteen, I thought I would divide,—'for he that