Page 578 - for-the-term-of-his-natural-life

‘Lady Devine has gone to bed, Mr. Richard,’ cried Tom-
kins, aghast, attempting to bar the passage to the upper
regions.
‘Then let’s have her out o’ bed,’ cried John Rex, plunging
to the door.
Tomkins, attempting to restrain him, is instantly hurled
into a cabinet of rare china, and the drunken brute essays
the stairs. The other servants seize him. He curses and fights
like a demon. Doors bang open, lights gleam, maids hover,
horrified, asking if it’s ‘fire?’ and begging for it to be ‘put
out”. The whole house is in an uproar, in the midst of which
Lady Devine appears, and looks down upon the scene. Rex
catches sight of her; and bursts into blasphemy. She with-
draws, strangely terrified; and the animal, torn, bloody, and
blasphemous, is at last got into his own apartments, the
groom, whose face had been seriously damaged in the en-
counter, bestowing a hearty kick on the prostrate carcase
at parting.
The next morning Lady Devine declined to see her son,
though he sent a special apology to her.
‘I am afraid I was a little overcome by wine last night,’
said he to Tomkins. ‘Well, you was, sir,’ said Tomkins.
‘A very little wine makes me quite ill, Tomkins. Did I do
anything very violent?’
‘You was rather obstropolous, Mr. Richard.’
‘Here’s a sovereign for you, Tomkins. Did I say any-
thing?’
‘You cussed a good deal, Mr. Richard. Most gents do
when they’ve bin —hum—dining out, Mr. Richard.’