"That hideous Chinaman has just done it!" I shouted back. Not to be outdone by a Chinaman, the guardsman rode at the fence, his horse went down, and he got a dreadful toss. When he got up, he was furiously angry with me.
When Tom had been with me for some years, he came to me and said, "Master, you never give me leave! You give others leave but not me leave. I want leave."
The request was reasonable enough, and I sent Tom to my house in town, there to amuse himself for a week. At the end of the week he did not return. He was reported missing. I advertised for him, offering a reward. The next day he was arrested at the Criterion Restaurant, being one of a party of thirteen (of whom twelve were ladies) to whom Tom was about to play the host.
It turned out that during his week in town, my faithful servant had spent £70. He had also raised money at one of my clubs.
"Lord Charles want twenty-five pounds," he said to the porter, who took him to the cashier.
"His lordship must give me his I.O.U.," says the cashier.
"What thing that?" says Tom.
The cashier explained.
"All-light," says the man of resource, and promptly forged my I.O.U. for thirty-five pounds.
"You said twenty-five," remarked the cashier.