"
After a somewhat hasty toilet, during which Anthony contrived to cut
himself, we descended to find a goodly breakfast and a cheerful fire;
but scarcely were we at table than Anthony tugged at the bell rope.
"Good morrow to thee, Thomas!" quoth he to the portly and somnolent
landlord who responded to the summons. "Chaise will be round soon, I
hope?"
"Whenever ye do so wish, Mr. Anthony, sir."
"Excellent! Then pray, Tom, take hence this stuff!" And he pointed to
a bottle at his elbow.
"Stuff, sir! Oh, Mr. Anthony--stuff?" exclaimed the landlord in
sorrowful reproach, his somnolence forgotten in surprise. "It be
brandy, sir--best French--your very own particular--"
"Aye, Tom, I know it is, and begad, I'm lusting for a mouthful--that's
why I bid you take it away--drink coffee instead, confound it! So
hence with it, Thomas--away!"
Very round of eye, the landlord took up the bottle and wandered off
with it like one in a dream.
Anthony gulped his coffee, but, though the fare was excellent, ate
little, fidgeted with his stock, shuffled in his chair, glanced
frequently and stealthily at his watch and, in fine, discovered all
those symptoms that indicated an extreme perturbation of mind.
"Devil take it, Perry--how you eat!" he exclaimed at last.
"The ham is delicious, Anthony--".
"Dooced stuff would choke me! Oh, by heaven, I'd give
anything--everything, to take your place for the next hour!"
"But then, Anthony, it would probably be I who could not eat!"
"Tush, man, I'll hit you the ace of spades six times out of seven at
twelve paces! Four o'clock, by heaven! I wonder if that confounded
chaise will be ready yet!" And up he sprang and hasted away into the
yard and almost immediately came hurrying back to tell me the vehicle
was at the door.
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