Catherine Author:William Makepeace Thackeray Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. TN WHICH A NARCOTIC IS ADMINISTERED, AND A GREAT DEAL OF GENTEEL SOCIETY DEPICTED. WHEN the Corporal, who had retreated to the street-door imm... more »ediately on hearing the above conversation, returned to the Captain's lodgings and paid his respects to Mrs. Catherine, he found that lady in high good-humour. The Count had been with her, she said, along with a friend of his, Mr. Trippet; had promised her twelve yards of the lace she coveted so much; had vowed that the child should have as much more for a cloak; and had not left her until he had sat with her for an hour, or more, over a bowl of punch, which he made on purpose for her. Mr. Trippet stayed too. " A mighty pleasant man," said she; " only not very wise, and seemingly a good deal in liquor." " A good deal indeed ! " said the Corporal. " He was so tipsy just now, that he could hardly stand. He and his honour were talking to Nan Fantail in the market-place; and she pulled Trippet's wig off, for wanting to kiss her." " The nasty fellow !" said Mrs. Cat, " to demean himself with such low people as Nan Fantail, indeed ! Why, upon my conscience now, Corporal, it was but an hour ago that Mr. Trippet swore he never saw such a pair of eyes as mine, and would like to cut the Captain's throat for the love of me. Nan Fantail indeed !" " Nan's an honest girl, Madam Catherine, and was a great favourite of the Captain's before some one else came in his way. No one can say a word against her—not a word." "And pray, Corporal, who ever did?" said Mrs. Cat, rather offended. " A nasty, angry slut! I wonder what the men can see in her?" " She has got a smart way with her, sure enough ; it's what amuses the men, and " " And what ? You don't mean to say that my Max is fond of her now ?" said Mrs. Catherine, looking ...« less