Roundabout Papers - Penn State University

Roundabout Papersin a red coat, and his fair hair flowing over his shoulders,was over the mantel-piece, and Poseidon won theNewmarket Cup in the year 1783!“Yes; you are right. I danced a minuet with her atBury that very night, before I lost my poor leg. And Iquarrelled with your grandf——, ha!”As he said “Ha!” there came three quiet little taps onthe table—it is the middle table in the “Gray’s-inn Coffee-house,”under the bust of the late Duke of W-ll-ngtn.“I fired in the air,” he continued “did I not?” (Tap,tap, tap.) “Your grandfather hit me in the leg. He marriedthree months afterwards. ‘Captain Brown,’ I said,‘who could see Miss Sm-th without loving her?’ She isthere! She is there!” (Tap, tap, tap.) “Yes, my first love—”But here there came tap, tap, which everybody knowsmeans “No.”“I forgot,” he said, with a faint blush stealing over hiswan features, “she was not my first love. In Germ— inmy own country—there was a young woman—”Tap, tap, tap. There was here quite a lively little trebleknock; and when the old man said, “But I loved theebetter than all the world, Eliza,” the affirmative signalwas briskly repeated.And this I declare upon my honor. There was, I havesaid, a bottle of port-wine before us—I should say adecanter. That decanter was lifted up, and out of it intoour respective glasses two bumpers of wine were poured.I appeal to Mr. Hart, the landlord—I appeal to James,the respectful and intelligent waiter, if this statementis not true? And when we had finished that magnum,and I said—for I did not now in the least doubt of herpresence—”Dear gr-nny, may we have another magnum?”the table distinctly rapped “No.”“Now, my good sir,” Mr. Pinto said, who really began tobe affected by the wine, “you understand the interest Ihave taken in you. I loved Eliza ——” (of course I don’tmention family names). “I knew you had that box whichbelonged to her—I will give you what you like for thatbox. Name your price at once, and I pay you on thespot.”220