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Read Ebook: El criticón (tomo 1 de 2) by Graci N Y Morales Baltasar Cejador Y Frauca Julio Editor
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Ebook has 80 lines and 6674 words, and 2 pages
"Is that credential enough for you?" he asked.
"I am more than satisfied," I replied.
"Then permit me to introduce myself. I am Captain Myles Rudstone, at your service--ex-officer of Canadian Volunteers, formerly of London and Paris, and now serving under the same banner as yourself. In short, I am a man of the world."
"Your perception does you credit," he exclaimed.
"I see that you are a gentleman. And now let us drink together to celebrate our first meeting."
"With all my heart!" I replied cordially.
I expected that he would ring the bell for madame, but instead of that he strode around the table to the sleeping stranger in the chair, and clapped him heavily on the shoulder. The man was roused instantly, and as he sprang to his feet I saw that he was tall and middle aged. His face was shrewd and intelligent, clean-shaven, and slightly wrinkled. He wore a white neck-cloth, antiquated coat and breeches of rusty black, and gray stockings with silver buckles at the knee; a cluster of seals dangled from his watch chain, and his fingers were long and white.
"What the devil do you mean by striking me, sir?" he demanded angrily.
"I merely gave you a tap," Captain Rudstone replied coolly. "I wish you to join this gentleman and myself in a drink."
"I have no desire to drink."
"But I say you shall!"
"And I say I shall not. I am a man of peace, but by Heavens, sir, I will swallow no affront tamely."
"I believe you are a spy--an emissary of the Northwest Company," cried the captain; and I knew by his manner that he had really suspected the stranger from the first.
"Then you lie, sir!" declared the man in black. "Here is my card."
He tossed a slip of pasteboard on the table, and picking it up, I read the following:
"CHRISTOPHER BURLEY. "For Parchmont and Tolliver, Solicitors, "Lincoln's Inn, London."
I handed the card to Captain Rudstone, and he glanced at it disdainfully.
"A law clerk," he sneered. "But come, I will overlook your menial position. I am not too proud to clink glasses with you."
"The boot is on the other leg, sir," cried the man of law. "I pick my company, and I refuse to drink with a swashbuckler and a roysterer."
"You shall drink with me," roared the captain, drawing his blade, "or I will teach you civil manners with the point of this!"
I judged that it was time to interfere.
I thought he would have run me through for my interference, so blackly did he glare at me; but the next instant he sheathed his sword and laughed.
"You are right," he said. "I have had a drop too much for the first time for months. I offer my apologies to the offended law. Come, Mr. Carew, I will take another cup to your good health."
As he spoke he approached the door, and as I followed him the law clerk stopped me by a touch on the shoulder.
"My thanks to you, young gentleman," he said. "I like your face, and I put no blame on you for what has occurred. A word with you, if I may. I see that you are in the service of the Hudson Bay Company."
"Yes," I assented.
"And do you know the Canadas?"
"As well as you know London," I replied.
His face brightened at that.
"I came over a month ago on important business," he went on, "and I have been lately in Montreal and Ottawa. Did you ever, in the course of your wanderings, hear of a certain Osmund
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