[1] The reference is evidently to the secret treaty by which King
Charles of England received annual payment for compliance with King
Louis's schemes for French aggression.
CHAPTER XXIV
UNDER THE AEGIS OF THE COURT
The roar of London was about us.
Sign-boards creaked and swung to every puff of wind. Great
hackney-coaches, sunk at the waist like those old gallipot boats of ours,
went ploughing past through the mud of mid-road, with bepowdered footmen
clinging behind and saucy coachmen perched in front. These flunkeys
thought it fine sport to splash us passers-by, or beguiled the time when
there was stoppage across the narrow street by lashing rival drivers with
their long whips and knocking cock-hats to the gutter. 'Prentices stood
ringing their bells and shouting their wares at every shop-door. "What
d'ye lack? What d'ye lack? What d'ye please to lack, good sirs? Walk
this way for kerseys, sayes, and perpetuanoes! Bands and ruffs and
piccadillies! Walk this way! Walk this way!"
"Pardieu, lad!" says M. Radisson, elbowing a saucy spark from the wall
for the tenth time in as many paces. "Pardieu, you can't hear yourself
think! Shut up to you!" he called to a bawling 'prentice dressed in
white velvet waistcoat like a showman's dummy to exhibit the fashion.
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