He sells it very
cheap; the reason is, his friends allow him only a shilling or two in
coppers, and as every madman is the center of the universe, he thinks
that the prices of all commodities are regulated by the amount of
specie in his pocket. This is his style, 'Come, buy, buy, choice mutton
three farthings the carcass. Retail shop next door, ma'am. Jack, serve
the lady. Bill, tell him he can send me home those twenty bullocks, at
three half-pence each--' and so on. But at night he subsides into an
auctioneer, and, with knocking down lots while others are conversing,
gets removed occasionally to a padded room. Sometimes we humor him, and
he sells us the furniture after a spirited competition, and debits the
amounts, for cash is not abundant here. The other night, heated with
business, he went on from the articles of furniture to the company, and
put us all up in succession.
"Having a good many dislikes, he sometimes forgot the auctioneer in the
man, and depreciated some lots so severely that they had to be passed;
but he set Miss Wieland in a chair, and descanted on her beauty, good
temper, and other gifts, in terms florid enough for Robins, or any
other poet. Sold for eighteen pounds, and to a lady. This lady had
formed a violent attachment to Miss W.
Pages:
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326