Page:Reminisences of Captain Gronow.djvu/244

This page has been validated.
222
Anecdotes and Reminisences

ladies in the drawing-room, where the servant in royal livery was waiting, holding a tray upon which was a cup of tea for the Duke. Mr. Blackburn, observing the servant in waiting, and that nobody took the cup of tea, determined on drinking it; but the domestic retired a little, to endeavour to prevent it. Mr. Blackburn, however, followed and persisted; upon which the servant said, "Sir, it is for his Royal Highness." "D—— his Royal Highness, I will have this tea." The Duke exclaimed, "That's right, Blackburn," and ordered the servant to hand it to him.


Colonel Kelly and his Blacking.—Among the odd characters I have met with, I do not recollect any one more eccentric than the late Lieutenant-colonel Kelly, of the First Foot Guards, who was the vainest man I ever encountered. He was a thin, emaciated-looking dandy, but had all the bearing of the gentleman. He was haughty in the extreme, and very fond of dress; his boots were so well varnished that the polish now in use could not surpass Kelly's blacking in brilliancy; his pantaloons were made of the finest leather, and his coats

This article is issued from Wikisource. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.