He now
remembered nothing of Eastgate, but the freedoms he had used to
take with him, while Tom had quietly stood his butt, with an eye
to the benefice; and those freedoms he began to repeat in common-place
sarcasms on his person and his cloth, which he uttered in
the public coffeehouse, for the entertainment of the company. But
he was egregiously mistaken in giving his own wit credit for that
tameness of Eastgate, which had been entirely owing to prudential
considerations. These being now removed, he retorted his repartee
with interest, and found no great difficulty in turning the laugh
upon the aggressor; who, losing his temper, called him names, and
asked, If he knew whom he talked to? After much altercation,
Prankley, shaking his cane, bid him hold his tongue, otherwise he
could dust his cassock for him. 'I have no pretensions to such a
valet (said Tom) but if you should do me that office, and
overheat yourself, I have here a good oaken towel at your
service.'
Prankley was equally incensed and confounded at this reply. After
a moment's pause, he took him aside towards die window; and,
pointing to the clump of firs, on Clerken-down, asked in a
whisper, if he had spirit enough to meet him there, with a case
of pistols, at six o'clock tomorrow morning.
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