Memoirs Of Joseph Grimaldi

226 MEMOIRS OF JOSEPH GEIMALDI.

lost sight of him, in consequence of his engagements takin
elsewhere; hut in Easter 1809, when Sadler's Wells re-opened,
and Grrimaldi resumed his hahit of calling at the tavern for half
an hour or so, before driving out to Finchley, he again encoun-
tered him. He had been married in the interval, and frequently
took his wife, a pretty young creature, to the tavern with him,
as at that time many tradesmen in the neighbourhood were
accustomed to do.

Grimaldi paid little attention to these circumstances at first;
but a change had come over the man which irresistibly attracted
his attention. He had become very violent and irritable,—had
acquired a nervous restlessness of manner, an occasional inco-
herence of speech, a wildness of look, and betrayed many other
indications of a mind somewhat disordered. He dressed differ-
ently too : formerly he had been neatly attired, and looked like
a respectable, well-doing man; but now he was showy and
gaudy, wore a number of large rings and other articles of cheap
jewellery, and his desire to be thought a great man had increased '
greatly,—so much so, indeed, that his declamations against trade
and all concerned in it, deeply affronted the worthies who were
wont to assemble at the Sir Hugh, and occasioned many disputes
and altercations.

All these things evidently made the wife very unhappy. Al-
though he usually abstained from drinking to his customary-
excess in her presence, he said and did enough to make her
wretched, and frequently, when she thought she was unobserved,
she would sit in a remote corner and weep bitterly.

One night, Hamilton brought with him a new friend, a man
of very sinister appearance and marvellously ill-favoured coun-
tenance. They were, or affected to be, both greatly intoxicated.
The strange man was introduced by his friend to Grrimaldi, and
began entering into conversation with him; but as there was
something remarkably repulsive in his appearance, he rose and
left the room.eton. At the termination of the summer season he