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84 A SHABBY GENTEEL STORY
before been madly melancholy, he narrated to the two gentlemen
the particulars of his quarrel with Fitch, mimicking the little
painter's manner in an excessively comic way, and giving the most
ludicrous account of his person, kept his companions in a roar of
laughter. Cinqbars swore that he would see the fun in the morning,
and agreed that if the painter wanted a second, either he or Tufthunt
would act for him.
Now my Lord Cinqbars had an excessively clever servant, a
merry rogue, whom he had discovered in the humble capacity of
scout's assistant at Christchurch, and raised to be his valet. The
chief duties of the valet were to black his lord's beautiful boots,
that we have admired so much, and put his Lordship to bed when
overtaken with liquor. He heard every word of the young men's
talk (it being his habit, much encouraged by his master, to join
occasionally in the conversation) ; and in the course of the night,
when at supper with Monsieur Donnerwetter and Mdlle. Augustine,
he related every word of the talk abovestairs, mimicking Brandon
quite as cleverly as the latter had mimicked Fitch. When then,
after making his company laugh by describing Brandon's love-agonies,
Mr. Tom informed them how that gentleman had a rival, with
whom he was going to fight a duel the next morning—an artistfellow
with an immense beard, whose name was Fitch, to his
surprise Mdlle. Augustine burst into a scream of laughter, and
exclaimed, " Feesh, Feesh ! Jest notre homme—it is our man, sare !
Saladin, remember you Mr. Fish ?"
Saladin said gravely, " Missa Fis, Missa Fis! know 'um quite
well, Missa Fis ! Painter-man, big beard, gib Saladin bit injyrubby,
Missis lub Missa Fis !"
It was too true : the fat lady was the famous MRS. CARRICK-
FERGUS, and she had come all the way from Rome in pursuit of her
adored painter.