"Well, but to proceed," cries he.

"We lived together at Birmingham, and I was going to be married to a rich heiress, egad! when what do you think this little Cat does?
She murders me, egad! and makes me manquer the marriage.
Twenty thousand, I think it was; and I wanted the money in those days.
Now, wasn't she an abominable monster, that mother of yours, hey, Mr.
a--What's-your-name ?" "She served you right!" said Mr.Billings, with a great oath, starting up out of all patience.
"Fellow!" said his Excellency, quite aghast, "do you know to whom you speak ?--to a nobleman of seventy-eight descents; a count of the Holy Roman Empire; a representative of a sovereign?
Ha, egad! Don't stamp, fellow, if you hope for my protection." "D--n your protection!" said Mr.Billings, in a fury.

"Curse you and your protection too! I'm a free-born Briton, and no -- -- French Papist! And any man who insults my mother--ay, or calls me feller--had better look to himself and the two eyes in his head, I can tell him!" And with this Mr.Billings put himself into the most approved attitude of the Cockpit, and invited his father, the reverend gentleman, and Monsieur la Rose the valet, to engage with him in a pugilistic encounter.

The two latter, the Abbe especially, seemed dreadfully frightened; but the Count now looked on with much interest; and, giving utterance to a feeble kind of chuckle, which lasted for about half a minute, said,-- "Paws off, Pompey! You young hangdog, you--egad, yes, aha! 'pon honour, you're a lad of spirit; some of your father's spunk in you, hey?
I know him by that oath.

Why, sir, when I was sixteen, I used to swear--to swear, egad, like a Thames waterman, and exactly in this fellow's way! Buss me, my lad; no, kiss my hand.