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10 A SHABBY GENTEEL STORY
to town ; had twice had Sir Rumble Tumble (the noble driver of
the Flash-o'-lightning-light-four-inside-post-coach) " up at his place,"
and took care to tell you that some of the party were pretty
considerably "sewn up," too. He did not frequent the large
hotels; but in revenge he knew every person who entered or left
them; and was a great man at the " Bag of Nails" and the
" Magpie and Punchbowl," where he was president of a club ; he
took the bass in " Mynheer Van Dunck," " The Wolf," and many
other morsels of concerted song, and used to go backwards and
forwards to London in the steamers as often as ever he liked, and
have his "grub," too, on board. Such was James Gann. Many
people, when they wrote to him, addressed him James Gann, Esq.
His reverses and former splendours afforded a never-failing
theme of conversation to honest Gann and the whole of his family ;
and it may be remarked that such pecuniary misfortunes, as they
are called, are by no means misfortunes to people of certain dispositions,
but actual pieces of good luck. Gann, for instance, used
to drink liberally of port and claret, when the house of Gann and
Blubbery was in existence, and was henceforth compelled to imbibe
only brandy and gin. Now he loved these a thousand times more
than the wine ; and had the advantage of talking about the latter,
and of his great merit in giving them up. In those prosperous
days, too, being a gentleman, he could not frequent the public-house
as he did at present; and the sanded tavern-parlour was Gann's
supreme enjoyment. He was obliged to spend many hours daily in
a dark unsavoury room in an alley off Thames Street ; and Gann
hated books and business, except of other people's. His tastes
were low ; he loved public-house jokes and company ; and now
being fallen, was voted at the " Bag of Nails " and the " Magpie "
before mentioned, a tip-top fellow and real gentleman, whereas he
had been considered an ordinary vulgar man by his fashionable
associates at Putney. Many men are there who are made to fall,
and to profit by the tumble.
As for Mrs. G., or Jooly, as she was indifferently called by her
husband, she, too, had gained by her losses. She bragged of her
former acquaintances in the most extraordinary way, and to hear
her you would fancy that she was known to and connected with
half the peerage. Her chief occupation was taking medicine, and
mending and altering her gowns. She had a huge taste for cheap
finery, loved raffles, tea-parties, and walks on the pier, where she
flaunted herself and daughters as gay as butterflies. She stood
upon her rank, did not fail to tell her lodgers that she was "a
gentlewoman," and was mighty sharp with Becky the maid, and
poor Carry, her youngest child.