Page 30 (1/2)

"Sir," said he, hat gracefully flourished in the air, "your very

humble obedient servant to command"

"A humble obedient fiddlestick, sir!" retorted the new coo bowing and

scraping to a gate-post, as though it were an Admiral of the Fleet

or Nelson himself--are ye mad or only drunk, sir? I say, what d' ye

mean?"

Here Barnabas put on his hat and opened the book

"Plainly, sir," he answered, "being overco or other, I bowed to that gate-post in want of a

worthier object; but now, seeing you arrive so very opportunely, I'

11 take the liberty of trying another Oblige ," and with the words Barnabas

bowed as elaborately as before

"Sink me!" exclaimed the one-armed individual, rounder of eye than

ever, "the fellow'sly, "but the book

here--which I aiven to understand is wholly infallible--says that

to bow is the entlemanly equipment, and in

the World of Fashion--"

"In the World of Fashion, sir, there are no gentlemen left," his

hearer broke in

"How, sir--?"

"I say no, sir, no one I say, daentleuardly Bucks, cursed Corinthians, andMacaronies

nowadays, sir Fashionable world--bah, sir!"

"But, sir, is not the Prince hientleman clapped on his hat

and snorted, "The Prince is a--prince, sir; he's also an authority

on sauce and shoe-buckles Let us talk of so--yourself, for instance"

Barnabas bowed