“Did you give Miss Griffin the paper, as I told you, before her marriage?”
“I did, my lord, in the presents of Mr. Brown, Lord Bobtail's man; who can swear to her having had it.”
I must tell you that my lord had made me read a paper which Lady Griffin had written, and which I was comishnd to give in the manner menshnd abuff. It ran to this effect:—
“According to the authority given me by the will of my late dear husband, I forbid the marriage of Miss Griffin with the Honorable Algernon Percy Deuceace. If Miss Griffin persists in the union, I warn her that she must abide by the consequences of her act.
“LEONORA EMILIA GRIFFIN.”
“RUE DE RIVOLI, May 8, 1818.”
When I gave this to Miss as she entered the cortyard, a minnit before my master's arrivle, she only read it contemptiously, and said, “I laugh at the threats of Lady Griffin;” and she toar the paper in two, and walked on, leaning on the arm of the faithful and obleaging Miss Kicksey.
I picked up the paper for fear of axdents, and brot it to my lord. Not that there was any necessaty; for he'd kep a copy, and made me and another witniss (my Lady Griffin's solissator) read them both, before he sent either away.
“Good!” says he; and he projuiced from his potfolio the fello of that bewchus fifty-pun note, which he'd given me yesterday. “I keep my promise, you see, Charles,” says he. “You are now in Lady Griffin's service, in the place of Mr. Fitzclarence, who retires. Go to Froje's, and get a livery.”
“But, my lord,” says I, “I was not to go into Lady Griffnses service, according to the bargain, but into—”