Both seemed to be silenced, however, by this intelligence; and while
the remainder of the punch lasted the conversation was wholly
engrossed by the gentleman with the fine waistcoat, who told a great
many "immense comical stories" and "confounded smart things," as he
termed them, acted and spoken by lords, ladies, and young bucks of
quality, of his acquaintance. At last, the grazier, pulling out a
watch, of a very unusual size, and telling the hour, said that he
had an appointment.
"Is it so late?" said the young gentleman; "then I am afraid I have
missed an appointment already; but the truth is, I am cursedly given
to missing of appointments."
When the grazier and he were gone, Harley turned to the remaining
personage, and asked him if he knew that young gentleman. "A
gentleman!" said he; "ay, he is one of your gentlemen at the top of
an affidavit. I knew him, some years ago, in the quality of a
footman; and I believe he had some times the honour to be a pimp.
At last, some of the great folks, to whom he had been serviceable in
both capacities, had him made a gauger; in which station he remains,
and has the assurance to pretend an acquaintance with men of
quality. The impudent dog! with a few shillings in his pocket, he
will talk you three times as much as my friend Mundy there, who is
worth nine thousand if he's worth a farthing.
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