Page:Paul Clifford Vol 1.djvu/151

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PAUL CLIFFORD.
121

waistcoat,—it is true, they were somewhat of the largest, for they had once belonged to no less a person than Long Ned himself: but Paul did not then regard those niceties of apparel, as he was subsequently taught to do by Gentleman George, (a personage hereafter to be introduced to our reader,) and he went to the theatre, as well satisfied with himself, as if he had been Mr. T——, or the Count de M——.

Our adventurers are now quietly seated in the theatre, and we shall not think it necessary to detail the performances they saw, nor the observations they made. Long Ned was one of those superior beings of the road, who would not for the world have condescended to appear any where but in the boxes, and accordingly the friends procured a couple of places in the dress-tier. In the next box to the one our adventurers adorned, they remarked more especially than the rest of the audience, a gentleman and a young lady seated next each other; the latter, who was about thirteen years old, was so uncommonly beautiful, that Paul, despite his dramatic enthusiasm, could scarcely divert his eyes from her countenance to