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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1837 edition. Excerpt:...Hol. (now old Hol's benched in the House of Humdrums)," said Parson Drewe, when soliciting his nephew's interest for the heir apparent of Withamstead. "But 'twill be a deuced good thing, you know, to ship the fellow off for town in the middle of the hunting season for he's such a slow dog; one is always riding over him; and such a deaf post, he can't so mueh as hear one beg pardon." "What are the blockhead's principles?"--demanded Lord Shoreham; much in the tone with which the clown demands of Malvolio in the play, " What are the opinions of Pythagoras concerning wild fowl?" "Principles?--Oh! squire to the backbone!" cried Alfred Drewe, jealous of the honour of his protege;--" Corn laws,--protestant succession,--Magna Charta,--church and state, and all that." "I trust the gentleman is faviribly disposed towards Ireland!" lisped the saccharine voice of Lady Catalpa,--an intellectual beauty of a certain age, who deigned to preside over the domestic happiness of the young lord,--sacrificing to him a reputation which was at once very black and very blue. "Ireland--slave trade--factory children,--Poles,--high, low, Jack and the game!" cried Alfred. "Explain yourself less metaphorically, my dear Mr.Drewe, for I fear I am sadly obtuse!" lisped the Countess, playing with a profusion of glittering rings, adorning hands on which ink, or some other stain, had left a very dirty impression. "Pray, explain yourself'." "No, by George!--I never rise to explain--I leave that to my curate!" cried the Parson. "But what say you, Shoreham?--Is it a go?" And Alfred began to whistle. "My dear Mr. Drewe, you forget you are not in the...