"My good young man," said I, out of all patience, "allez donc à l'hôpital des invalides: for really, if God has made you blind and deaf, you must be absolutely insufferable when you presume to be absent too. The least you can do, as a blind, deaf man, is surely to pay attention to those who address you."
"I never heard anything half so severe as la belle Harriette," drawled out the duke.
Luttrell now peeped his nose into my box, and said, dragging in his better half, half-brother I mean, fat Nugent, "A vacancy for two! How happens this? You'll lose your character, Harriette."
"I'm growing stupid, from sympathy, I suppose," I observed, glancing at his grace, who, being as deaf as a post, poor fellow, bowed to me for the supposed compliment.
"You sup with Amy, I hope?" said I to Luttrell. "And you?" turning to Nugent.
"There's a princess in the way," replied Nugent, alluding to the late Queen.
"Nonsense," said Luttrell, "Her Royal Highness has allowed me to be off."
"You can take liberties with her," Nugent remarked. "You great wits can do what you please. She would take it very ill of me; besides, I wish Amy would send some of those dirty Russians away. Count Orloff is the greatest beast in nature."
Lord Alvanly now entered my box.