1831.] The Man of Letters. 537 



Mrs. Bluebusk looked at me, with a thousand thunders in her eye. 

 As for me, I was all ti-epidation. Farewell all peace — farewell all tran- 

 quillity, after Mrs. Bluebusk's sanctum had been violated by bailiffs in 

 search of a person whom I had introduced. 



At length the storm burst forth — " Captain Burton," exclaimed she, 

 " I am astonished at your placing me in such a situation. I have every 

 respect for literary men, and as such feel towards Air. Howden." 



" Lord love you, ma'am," cried the London bailiff, " what do you 

 mean by a literary man ? INIr. Howden is none of that sort, and I ought 

 to know, for I have had most of the literary men in England in my cus- 

 tody, at one time or another. This here defendant is an old East Indian 

 sailor, and, I'll be sworn, never read a book in his life, unless, perhaps, 

 it was his own log, or Falconer's Shipwreck." 



" Falconer's Shipwreek \" screamed the Toady. 



" Falconer's Shipwreck !" screamed Mrs. Bluebusk : — " that accounts 

 for it, then ! Captain Burton, how dare you tell me that your friend 

 was a man of letters ?" 



At that moment the servant entered, and put a note into my hand. I 

 saw in an instant that it was written by Jack. I opened it — glanced at 

 its contents — while Mrs. Bluebusk exclaimed " Don't read that im- 

 poster's scrawl ; but tell me, Sir, how you dared to pass him off to me 

 as a man of letters ?" 



" A man of letters, ma'am," cried I, " listen to this note, and then tell 

 me if he is not a man of letters." 



" To A. T. B., Esq., F. R. S., &c. 



" Bee, Eye, Sept. 2,-10, p. m., A. D. 1831. 

 " Dear T. — Tell ]\Irs. B., though I've drunk her t^a, and our thoughts 

 " so gee, I cannot come back p. p. c, because D. I. O. with the scent 

 "of a bailiff at my heels. This is a word in the Q. E. D. That rascal 

 " N. G., who holds my I. O. U., has traced me to Eye with a ca. sa. 

 " Your's most literally, J. W. H." 



" P. S. — Remember me to F. and K., and beg them not to put an 

 " R. after my name, though for the present I am Q in the corner." 



The bailiffs, when they heard it, were off like a shot. IMrs. Blue- 

 busk, when she heard it, thought that a better case had been made out 

 than could have been expected ; upon which, IMiss Tibbs thought so 

 too. IMy nieces, Fanny and Kate, when they heard it, shed a tear 

 a-piece for honest Jack's misfortune ; and, lest my readers should do 

 the same, let me add, that I have just received news that the friend 

 whom he guaranteed has just returned nuvimi plcnus, and released from 

 all his pecuniary difficulties this newly-dubbed " man of letters." 



G. 



