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Whilst this vision occupied the father's imagination, a vision of another sort played upon the juvenile fancy of his son a vision of a gig; for, though Augustus was but a school-boy, he had very manly ideas if those ideas be manly which most young men have. Lord Rawson, the son of the Earl of Marryborough, had lately appeared to Augustus in a gig.
"I lost part to Sir John O'Shannon, last night, at billiards more fool I to play, only because I wanted to cut a figure amongst those fine people at Marryborough. I wonder my father lets me go there; I know I sha'n't go back there this Easter, unless Lord Rawson makes me an apology, I can tell him.
Lord Rawson was one of those young men who measure their own merit and felicity by the number of miles which their horses can go in a day; he undertook to drive his friend up from Marryborough to Westminster, a distance of forty miles, in five hours. The arrival of his lordship's gig was a signal, for which several people were in waiting at Westminster school.
Augustus Holloway imagined would bring him such complete felicity the day on which Lord Rawson had promised to call for him in his dog-cart, and to drive him down randem-tandem, to Marryborough was now arrived.
It was agreed that Lord Rawson should drive his friend to Marryborough the next Tuesday, and that he should return on Wednesday, with Holloway, to Westminster, on purpose that he might meet Mr. Carat there, who was then to deliver the prizes. "I'll lay you a bet," cried Lord Rawson, as he left the Jew's, "that you'll have a prize yourself.
Do you know, he asked me to eat custard with my apple-pie, just to point me out for an alderman's son; and when I only differed from him about Captain Shouldham's puppy's ears, Lord Rawson said, to be sure, I must know about dog's ears, just to put me in mind that I was a school-boy; but I'll never go to Marryborough any more, unless he begs my pardon.
Now, how they'd stare at Marryborough, Holloway, if you were to begin sporting some of your Horace and Virgil!" The dashing, yet bashful school-boy, with much emotion, swore that he cared as little for Horace and Virgil as his lordship did.
"If it were necessary, I hope I could; but I'd rather not hear " "Pooh, nonsense," interrupted Holloway, "you must hear it; I'll trust to your honour; and, besides, I have not a moment to stand shilly shally: I've got a promise from my father to let me go down, this Easter, with Lord Rawson, to Marryborough, in his dog-cart, randem-tandem, you know."
Carat entered the shop, bowing and apologizing to his lordship for having been busy. "I'm always, to be sure, in a very great hurry," cried Lord Rawson; "I never have a minute that I can call my own. All I wanted though, just now, was to tell you, that I could not settle any thing you understand till we come back from Marryborough. I go down there to-morrow."
"You must wait till I come back from Marryborough; I can't possibly speak to you now; I can't possibly, you see, keep Lord Rawson waiting. Why didn't you call sooner? I am not at all convinced that any parcel was lost." "I'll show you the books it's book'd, sir," said the man, eagerly. "Well, well, this is not a time to talk of booking.
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