THE BAGSTER CASE. 135 



commissioner's was despatched for a chaise and four, with directions 

 that the bill should be brought at the same time. Down rattled the 

 chaise, and down came waiters, chambermaids, boots, and all " the 

 militia of the inn," to the dock-yard ! Walton, without looking at 

 items, put the amount into the hands of his gratified host, distributed 

 his favours liberally to the domestics, threw a crown-piece at the head 

 of the lout, and stepped into his chaise, amidst huzzas from the many 

 idlers who had joined the Georgians. 



" Long life to the Grand " were the only words the noise of 



the wheels permitted him to hear. 



He reached London, without any farther adventure, in as short a time 

 as four horses could get over the ground. Arrived at his home, he 

 instantly forwarded the essential documents to his patron ; and having 

 disburdened himself of the more weighty affair, fell into a series of con- 

 jectures, as to the possible motives for the reverential deference he had 

 met with. Tired with conflicting speculations, between his fond wishes 

 to attribute it all to his literary reputation, and his secret fears that the 

 homage was somewhat too profound, even for a litterateur of his emi- 

 nence to reckon upon, he kicked off his boots! Certain characters on 

 the morocco lining attracted his attention. In a moment the mystery 

 was solved. On decyphering them, he discovered no less a title than 

 that of 



" THE GRAND DUKE NICHOLAS!" 



for whom the Hoby's had been originally designed for whom they had 

 proved either too large, or too small ; and for whom also our literary 

 diplomatist had been mistaken, from the moment that he consigned them 

 to the polishing hands of the wise waiter at the George ! 



" Fairly hooked," muttered Walton, as he went grumbling up to bed, 

 and hoping the newspapers on the other side might never get hold of 

 the story. 



THE BAGSTER CASE. 



WHEN we were a boy, (alas ! many years ago,) we never could be 

 brought, for the life of us, to acknowledge, or to subscribe to, certain 

 dogmas launched against our most innocent predilections and amiable 

 propensities, by our affectionate parents and venerable grandmother. 

 Every thing that " fitted the dainty tooth" most exactly, was pronounced 

 pernicious every thing that the nicer taste with " spattering noise re- 

 jected" was forthwith declared wholesome and agreeable j and we were 

 constrained to swallow and to digest the same, or to submit to revolting 

 and odious punishment. 



This mode of proceeding, far from confirming the authority of such 

 dogmas, so sought to be established, had the directly opposite effect of 

 rendering us sceptical upon all matters that were not conformable with 

 our five senses, or our one reason ; and we have, accordingly, grown 

 into middle age with an obstinate misgiving on many points, upon which 

 a great majority of the world is, we understand, perfectly agreed. 



We are a plain man, and must, therefore, not be taken to task for 

 speaking our mind freely. We are the very sagacious person, that 



