KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



397 



sorry to appear abrupt to Mr. Von Sclme- 

 diker, but they had an engagement which 

 unfortunately admitted of no delay." Two 

 cabriolets were instantly beckoned to — 

 the doors of the vehicles opened — in they 

 fluttered with the precipitancy of disturbed 

 wild-fowl — drove otf — and Master Augustus 

 Von Schnediker was left gazing after them 

 with a visage that " ought to have been seen 

 to be properly appreciated !" 



" By day and night but this is wondrous 

 strange !" thought I, and no less strange 

 than irritating and perplexing. Owing, 

 perhaps, in a great degree to not having 

 mixed much with the world, an almost 

 morbid sensibility formed a considerable 

 item in my character, and a feverish anxiety 

 took possession of me to account for the 

 sudden change. It was but \esterclay that 

 I was allowed to be a handsome, intelligent, 

 prepossessing young man, whose conversa- 

 tion and company were courted by all ; and 

 lo ! to-day I was a scoundrel ! " an outcast 

 from society !" and a being visibly con- 

 temned and shunned by every person with 

 whom I came in contact ! yet I was con- 

 scious of no alteration in myself. I was still, 

 as far as I knew, as handsome, intelligent, and 

 prepossessing as ever ; but it was evident 

 that the citizens of London had come to a 

 very different conclusion. The collective 

 wisdom of Grottingen could not have ac- 

 counted for it ; and. I wandered about, until 

 the shades of evening began to Ml, in a 

 state of hopeless bewilderment. I now 

 found, to add to my stock of comforts, that 

 I had lost my way. This as a stranger, 

 had frequently happened to me before, and 

 I had invariably been courteously shown 

 the right path : but this unfortunate even- 

 ing, in order to be in keeping, I suppose. 

 with the unfortunate day, my inquiries were 

 disregarded, and I was laughed at, or di- 

 rected wrong, or told " to follow my nose." 

 At length fatigued and wearied, I staggered 

 into the first reputable hotel that came in 

 my way j seated myself in a vacant box, rang 

 for the waiter, and ordered a pint of sherry. 



"Sherry!" said the man, with a marked 

 emphasis and a most incredulous stare. 



The waiter eyed me from top to toe. 



" I thinh you said sherry, Sir !" said he. 



" Sherry," I said. 



The waiter moved up to the top of the 

 box, and collected some silver spoons, which 

 were lying about ; those he deposited in his 

 pocket. He then went his way, and re- 

 turned with a modicum of villanous Cape. 



" I will trouble" you for the money," said 

 he, before setting it clown. 



I handed him a sovereign in payment. The 

 waiter looked harder than ever. He delibe- 

 rately chinked it three distinct times upon the 

 table, took down a pair of scales, weighed 



it before my face, and then, as it appeared 

 to me, reluctantly proceeded to count out 

 the change upon the table. Between each 

 particular shilling he stole a furtive glance 

 towards me, and when he had concluded, I 

 heard him observe to a sort of under-waiter 

 on leaving the room, " I say, Jem, keep an 

 eye on that 'ere fellow." Jem's office was 

 not of long duration ; for, after tasting the 

 delectable beverage set before me, I arose 

 and took my departure. 



"A bill of the play," cried a shrill voice 

 in my ear ; " only one penny ; but you, 

 Sir," added the boy as he surveyed me, 

 " may have it for a half-penny !" 



I took the bill, and gave the boy what 

 loose copper I had in my pocket; upon which 

 he stared, thanked me, and said, " I was very 

 much of a gem'man, though I did not look 

 like one." Thankful for even this equivocal 

 compliment, I made my way into the pit of 

 Drury-lane Theatre, in order to lose for an 

 hour or two my own uncomfortable identity 

 in the fictitious joy and sorrows of others. 

 It was rather crowded when I entered, and I 

 had some difficulty in obtaining a seat ; but 

 I soon found myself at my ease in regard to 

 room. A large vacant space was speedily 

 formed around me, as if contamination was 

 in my very touch ; or, as if every individual 

 was afraid of being suspected of being in my 

 company. This was singularly unpleasant ; 

 and determined, if possible, to ascertain the 

 cause, I moved along the seat towards my 

 left-hand neighbor, a stout old gentleman, 

 and commenced venturing a remark on the 

 performances. But my left-hand neighbor, 

 the stout old gentleman, moved still further 

 from me with all possible expedition, trans- 

 ferred his silk handkerchief from his coat 

 into his hat, put his watch into his waist- 

 coat, buttoned up his trousers' pocket next 

 to me, clapped his hand upon it, and ex- 

 claimed, " No you don't I." after which he 

 looked round, laughed knowingly, and 

 winked with one eye. Presently all the 

 people near him commenced buttoning up 

 their pockets, laughing, and winking with 

 one eye. I looked behind — every one was 

 so employed. I glanced one eye aside, and 

 then the other — it was all the same. I 

 sought relief by looking towards the stage, 

 but every face before me was turned from it. 

 They were all looking at me ; and every 

 individual man among them buttoned up 

 their pockets, laughed, and winked with one 

 eye ! This was not to be borne. The per- 

 spiration started from my forehead. But 

 what could I do ? I could neither resist nor 

 remonstrate ; so I leaped up and made my 

 way towards the door. No sooner had I 

 commenced my retrograde movement, than 

 a simultaneous tittering took place among 

 the people who had before winked and but- 



