“A word with you, Mr. Wilkinson,” said one of a couple of very shady individuals. “You’ll ’ave to come wi’ us,” he whispered, “a capias at the suit of Beyfus—£200 with costs.”
“Hang it,” replied Peter, with sang-froid. “Can’t you let it stand over? If you nab me now I can’t pay, but if you’ll let me alone till after the meeting I’ll make it right, not only with Beyfus, but with you. Now, look here, here’s how it stands. On Saturday next I’m going down with Lord Hastings to Castle Donington. Send one of your chaps after me, and about eight send a letter in to me. We shall be at dinner—leave the rest to me.”
On the following Saturday, the programme was carried out in its entirety. Peter Wilkinson was staggered by the unexpected blow! and the much-abused, kindly Hastings paid the claim on the spot.
And this is how boon companions requited the most generous man in England. What wonder, the target of friends and foes, the deepest well at length dried up! The party meanwhile had moved on, and Peter on rejoining it found the champagne flying with a vengeance. The site was a huge marquee, the audience the entire company that had journeyed from London, blended with the full strength of the tableaux vivants cast.
Fred Ellis was holding forth in an incoherent speech till, offended by being told to “shut up,” he walked out of the tent. Within ten minutes, shouts of “Help! murder, help!” were wafted into the marquee, and groping amid tent ropes, the cause was not far to seek.
On his knees, in an attitude of supplication, was the honourable Fred; standing within a yard of him was a huge white goat. “Oh, go away; don’t take me. Oh, I know he’s come for me at last. Oh, take the devil away, I know it’s him, and I swear I’ll never touch wine again. Help! murder!” Lanterns meanwhile approaching from various directions, the position appeared simple enough. The unhappy man on lurching amid the tent ropes had unfortunately caught his leg in a harmless goat’s tether; in endeavouring to extricate himself he had dragged the inoffensive quadruped close to him, and being at the time in a state (presumedly) unusual for him, the surroundings, grafted on to a strong religious tendency, had distorted a very ordinary billy-goat into the devil specially on his track, and standing over him waiting to waft him to where—no matter how thirsty—drink was absolutely unattainable. Fred Ellis had once won the Grand Military, but that was before—
Luncheon on the Derby and Oaks days in the long-forgotten sixties was an institution that dwarfs the most ambitious displays of hampers and cold pies consumed on the tops of drags. Conceive a huge marquee with tables the entire length groaning under every delicacy, from plovers’ eggs at a shilling a-piece to patés and blanc-manges of the Gunter school of creation. Imagine vats six feet high around the entire walls distilling the best champagne into goblets filled by the most expert of footmen. Conceive all this, free, gratis, and for nothing by simply presenting your card with the name of your regiment inscribed; behold the genial host smiling contentedly, as supporting on his arm a live Duchess of Manchester—now her Grace of Devonshire—he administered to the internal wants of one of the most beautiful women of the day!
Cynics, not contented with accepting the gifts the gods provided, were prone to remark that assuming the feast cost Tod Heatly a thousand, he would gladly have doubled it, if only to enable his fellow-creatures to feast their eyes on that supreme moment of his life when he piloted his fair charge across the crowded course.
Tod Heatly, it may be explained, possessed almost the entire monopoly of supplying champagne to the various messes of the Army. Amassing wealth hand over hand by this profitable connection, he returned the compliment by giving a general invitation to any officer of any regiment who dealt with his firm.
Incredible as it may appear, no instance ever occurred of enterprising chevaliers entering without a right, and the delightful custom only ceased when the usages of society, the abolition of purchase, and our advanced ideas made it absolutely necessary.