The captain's interest was, however, overruled, in behalf of the old
gentleman in the kersey hood, who was believed, even at his extreme
age, to understand the plucking of a pigeon, as well, or better, than
any man in Alsatia.
This venerable personage was an usurer of notoriety, called Trapbois,
and had very lately done the state considerable service in advancing a
subsidy necessary to secure a fresh importation of liquors to the
Duke's cellars, the wine-merchant at the Vintry being scrupulous to
deal with so great a man for any thing but ready money.
When, therefore, the old gentleman arose, and with much coughing,
reminded the Duke that he had a poor apartment to let, the claims of
all others were set aside, and Nigel was assigned to Trapbois as his
guest.
No sooner was this arrangement made, than Lord Glenvarloch expressed
to Lowestoffe his impatience to leave this discreditable assembly, and
took his leave with a careless haste, which, but for the rundlet of
Rhenish wine that entered just as he left the apartment, might have
been taken in bad part. The young Templar accompanied his friend to
the house of the old usurer, with the road to which he and some other
youngsters about the Temple were even but too well acquainted. On the
way, he assured Lord Glenvarloch that he was going to the only clean
house in Whitefriars; a property which it owed solely to the exertions
of the old man's only daughter, an elderly damsel, ugly enough to
frighten sin, yet likely to be wealthy enough to tempt a puritan, so
soon as the devil had got her old dad for his due.
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