' He would say, 'I dine to-day in Grosvenor-square;' this might be
with a Duke: or, perhaps, 'I dine to-day at the other end of the town:'
or, 'A gentleman of great eminence called on me yesterday.' He loved
thus to keep things floating in conjecture: Omne ignotum pro magnifico
est. I believe I ventured to dissipate the cloud, to unveil the mystery,
more freely and frequently than any of his friends. We stopped again at
Wirgman's, the well-known toy-shop, in St. James's-street, at the corner
of St. James's-place, to which he had been directed, but not clearly,
for he searched about some time, and could not find it at first; and
said, 'To direct one only to a corner shop is TOYING with one.' I
suppose he meant this as a play upon the word toy: it was the first time
that I knew him stoop to such sport. After he had been some time in the
shop, he sent for me to come out of the coach, and help him to choose
a pair of silver buckles, as those he had were too small. Probably this
alteration in dress had been suggested by Mrs.
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