'Why, sir,' says he, 'there is such a thing as patriotism, I hope.'
CHAPTER XVI--THE HOME-COMING OF MR. ROWLEY'S VISCOUNT
By eight the next morning Dudgeon and I had made our parting. By
that time we had grown to be extremely familiar; and I would very
willingly have kept him by me, and even carried him to Amersham
Place. But it appeared he was due at the public-house where we had
met, on some affairs of my great-uncle the Count, who had an
outlying estate in that part of the shire. If Dudgeon had had his
way the night before, I should have been arrested on my uncle's
land and by my uncle's agent, a culmination of ill-luck.
A little after noon I started, in a hired chaise, by way of
Dunstable. The mere mention of the name Amersham Place made every
one supple and smiling. It was plainly a great house, and my uncle
lived there in style. The fame of it rose as we approached, like a
chain of mountains; at Bedford they touched their caps, but in
Dunstable they crawled upon their bellies. I thought the landlady
would have kissed me; such a flutter of cordiality, such smiles,
such affectionate attentions were called forth, and the good lady
bustled on my service in such a pother of ringlets and with such a
jingling of keys. 'You're probably expected, sir, at the Place? I
do trust you may 'ave better accounts of his lordship's 'elth, sir.
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