bayntun's interview with mangle. 863 



" Oil, no, my lord, I really never bet at all — not even five 

 shillings. I should lose my practice, were it known I was a 

 betting man." 



" Stuff and nonsense, Mangle; but come, if you won't do 

 business in one line, you will, perhaps, in another. I'm in a 

 speculative humour this morning, and want something on hand ; 

 so I'll buy your chance, if you will offer fair terms, out and 

 out, and set up for the girl myself." 



" But where, my lord, could you find the money, were I 

 disposed to deal with you % " 



" Oh, my friend Moses in the city, or some other old clothes 

 man ; but that's nothing to you, I'll find it somehow, if I can 

 make fair terms — that is, to get paid for my trouble. Egad ! 

 it's not a bad spec." 



" But the young lady, my lord 1 " 



" W e are on capital terms, Mangle, although I don't know 

 much of Harcourt — that will follow : now for the price — what's 

 the figure 1 " 



" Well, you know, my lord, it can only be done with my 

 client's consent ; but, without prejudice, say a hundred thou- 

 sand guineas." 



"A hundred thousand devils, Mangle ! — why, that's half the 

 value of the property ! " 



" Not anything like it, my lord, with all the arrears." 



" All chaff about the arrears, my worthy friend ; and then, 

 just look at your chance with Lord Malcolm, who swears he 

 will take the matter out of Harcourt' s hands, throw it into 

 Chancery, and keep it there the next ten years, and carry it, 

 if necessary, to the House of Lords. Your client must be a 

 man of substance to stand this racket." 



" Well, perhaps he is, my lord ) but Lord Malcolm is re- 

 ported not over rich." 



" He is just on the point of marrying a young lady with 

 two hundred thousand pounds — to my loss, I am sorry to say, 

 having made a bet on the subject — so there's no mistake in that 

 matter." 



Mr. Mangle looking rather serious at this intelligence, Lord 

 Henry said, " Come, Mangle, I'll take you at the odds laid last 

 night at Brooks's — seven to one on Miss Douglas against the 

 field ; which means Mangle and Co., with their backer." 



" You don't mean to say, my lord, that wagers are being 

 publicly laid on this suit 1 " 



" I do, though, my unsophisticated friend, and here," show- 



