Randolph.
Mr. Martindale, as we have said in the preceding chapter, left his company, and walked up to the Abbey to ascertain, if possible, from some of the servants the cause of their master’s sudden journey. The old gentleman was not in the habit usually of entering the house by the grand entrance; but on the present occasion, seeing the great doors partly open, he directed his steps that way; and as he approached, he heard voices with which he had not been familiar, and when he opened the door, he saw two vulgar-looking fellows gaping about in broad astonishment at the splendid decorations of the great hall, interspersing their profound remarks with unseemly puffings of tobacco-smoke from two pipes with which they were regaling themselves. It was not on trifling occasions that Mr. Martindale was struck dumb with astonishment; but at the sight which he then saw, he was so far thunderstruck that he did not instantaneously commence the pouring forth of his interrogatory eloquence. He gazed for a moment or more on the two men, and they gazed as long at him; but their looks were not so full of astonishment as his were: at length he spoke in very hurried tones.
“Who are you? What do you want here? What do you mean by smoking your filthy pipes in this place? Have the goodness to walk out directly.”
To this speech one of the men calmly replied, “We have as much right here, sir, as you have, and perhaps more; for I guess you are only one of the upper servants, and we are sheriffs’ officers.”
“Sheriffs’ devils!” foamed forth the old gentleman; “and who sent you here, I pray? I will have no sheriffs’ officers here, I can tell you.”
This language was not respectful to the men of office, and therefore it was more sharply taken up by the speaker, who, laying aside his composure, very loudly answered:
“Come, old fellow, let us have none of your insolence, or I shall soon let you know who is master.”
Furiously again Mr. Martindale was beginning to reply, by repeating the word “Master! master! master!” when the noise brought the butler to the scene of contention. This butler was more properly a spy over the actions of the Hon. Philip Martindale than a servant of his: he was the immediate pensioner of the old gentleman; but he was also somewhat attached to his nominal master, and he therefore acted the part of a traitor rather treacherously. He knew, but had not communicated to Mr. Martindale, the intention of the young gentleman to make a journey to London, and he knew also the business on which he had gone; and he had also, on previous occasions, known more than he had thought fit to communicate to his employer. When this trusty domestic made his appearance, Mr. Martindale addressed him very impetuously:
“Oliver! what does all this mean? Here are two insolent dirty fellows calling themselves sheriffs’ officers, and strutting about as if the house was their own. Where do they come from? What do they want here? And pray, where is your master? I must insist upon knowing the meaning of all this.”
Mr. Oliver looked foolish and confused, and while he was beating his brains for a plausible lie, one of the officers began to save him all further trouble of invention by saying: