The Waverley novels, by Sir Walter Scott, complete in 12 vol., printed from the latest English ed., embracing the author's last corrections, prefaces & notes.

THE FORTUNES OF NIGEL. 107
as I dit before, that we are going to a choice tavern, where we shall be
handsomely entertained, on paying probably as handsome a reckoning."
"Reckoning!" exclaimed Lord Dalgarno in the same tone as before,
" perish the peasantly phrase! What profanation! Monsieur le Chevalier
de Beaujeu, pink of Paris and flower of Gascony- he who can tell the age
of his wine by the bare smell, who distils his sauces in an alembic by the
aid of Lully's philosophy, -who carves with such exquisite precision, that
he gives to noble knight and squire the portion of the pheasant which exactly
accords with his rank-nay, he who shall divide a becafico into twelve parts
with such scrupulous exactness, that of twelve guests not one shall have
the advantage of the other in a hair's breadth, or the twentieth part of a
drachm, yet you talk of hinm and of a reckoning in the same breath Why,
man, he is the well-known and general referee in all matters affecting the
mysteries of Passage, Hazard, In-and-in, Penneeck, and Verquire, and what
not-why, Beaujeu is King of the Card-pack, and Duke of the Dice-box -
he call a reckoning like a green-aproned, red-nosed son of the vulgar spigot!
Oh, my dearest Nigel, what a word you have spoken, and of what a person!
That you know him not, is only your apology for such blasphemy; and yet
I scarce hold it adequate, for to have been a day in London and not to know
Beaujeu, is a crime of its own kind. But you shall know him this blessed
moment, and shall learn to -hold yourself in horror for the enormities you
have uttered."
" Well, but mark you," said Nigel, "this worthy chevalier keeps not all
this good cheer at his own cost, does he?"' No, no," answered Lord Dalgarno; "there is a sort of ceremony which
my chevalier's friends and intimates understand, but with which you have
no business at present. There is, as majesty might say, a symbolurn to be
disbursed —in other words, a mutual exchange of courtesies takes place
betwixt Beaujeu and his guests. He makes them a free present of the
dinner and wine, as often as they choose to consult their own felicity by
frequenting his house at the hour of noon, and they, in gratitude, make the
chevalier a present of a Jacobus. Then you must know, that, besides Comus
and Bacchus, that princess of sublunary affairs, the Diva Fortuna, is frequently worshipped at Beaujeu's, and he, as officiating high-priest, hath,
as in reason he should, a considerable advantage from a share of the sacrifice."
" In other words," said Lord Glenvarloch, "this man keeps a ganiinghouse."
" A house in which you may certainly game," said Lord Dalgarno, " as you
may in your own chamber, if you have a mind; nay, I remember old Tom
Tally played a hand at put for a wager with Quinze le Va, the Frenchman,
during morning prayers in Saint Paul's; the morning was misty, and the
parson drowsy, and the whole audience consisted of themselves and a blind
woman, and so they escaped detection."
"For all this, Malcolm," said the young lord, gravely, "I cannot dine
with you to-day, at this same ordinary."
"And wherefore, in the name of Heaven, should you draw back from
your word?" said Lord Dalgarno.
"I do not retract my word, Malcolm; but I am bound, by an early promise
to my father, never to enter the doors of a gaming-house."
"I tell you this is none," said Lord Dalgarno; "it is but, in plain terms,
an eating-house, arranged on civiller terms, and frequented by better company, than others in this town; and if some of them do amuse themselves
with cards and hazard, they are men of honour, and who play as such, and
for no more than they can well afford to lose. It was not, and could not
be, such houses that your father desired you to avoid. Besides, he might
as well have made you swear you would never take the accommodation of
an inn, tavern, eating-house, or place of public reception of any kind; for