a little in the dark. So Mel waited till there was a sort of a pause,
and then speaks rather loud to the Admiral, "By the way, Sir Jackson, may
I ask you, has the title of Marquis anything to do with tailoring?" Now
Mel was a great favourite with the Admiral, and with his lady, too, they
say--and the Admiral played into his hands, you see, and, says he, "I 'm
not aware that it has, Mr. Harrington." And he begged for to know why he
asked the question--called him, "Mister," you understand. So Mel said,
and I can see him now, right out from his chest he spoke, with his head
up "When I was a younger man, I had the good taste to be fond of good
society, and the bad taste to wish to appear different from what I was in
it": that's Mel speaking; everybody was listening; so he goes on: "I was
in the habit of going to Bath in the season, and consorting with the
gentlemen I met there on terms of equality; and for some reason that I am
quite guiltless of," says Mel, "the hotel people gave out that I was a
Marquis in disguise; and, upon my honour, ladies and gentlemen--I was
young then, and a fool--I could not help imagining I looked the thing.
At all events, I took upon myself to act the part, and with some success,
and considerable gratification; for, in my opinion," says Mel, "no real
Marquis ever enjoyed his title so much as I did. One day I was in my
shop--No. 193, Main Street, Lymport--and a gentleman came in to order his
outfit. I received his directions, when suddenly he started back, stared
at me, and exclaimed:

'My dear Marquis! I trust you will pardon me for having addressed you
with so much familiarity.' I recognized in him one of my Bath
acquaintances. That circumstance, ladies and gentlemen, has been a
lesson to me. Since that time I have never allowed a false impression
with regard to my position to exist. "I desire," says Mel, smiling, "to
have my exact measure taken everywhere; and if the Michaelmas bird is to
be associated with me, I am sure I have no objection; all I can say is,