A COMMUNICATIVE FLUNKEY.

Observer, Volume 7, Issue 233, 28 February 1885, Page 3

A COMMUNICATIVE FLUNKEY.

The excitement caused by tlie sojourn of Sir Julius Yogel in Auckland was not confined to political and mercantile circles. The wonted serenity and taciturnity of even Jeames was ruffled. One gorgeous flunkey, who darkly hints at an hereditary dukedom or a m&rquisate, temporarily laid on the shelf in the College of Heralds owing to encumbered estates and, a slight constriction of the exchequer, talks in the most off-hand manner of the intimate relations that existed between himself and the Hon. the Colonial Treasurer during the latter's stay at Oram's Hotel. It would appear from what this truthful Jeames says, that Sir Julius Yogel was constantly in the habit of consulting him upon all intricate financial and political questions, home and foreign — that, in fact, they were like Juno's swans, ever inseparable.

No wonder that after enjoying this distinguished friendship and confidence, the soul of Jeames should be moved to its depths by anything that tends to bring him down to the level of ordinary mortals. His grievance is this : The other night, when the distinguished statesman put out his boots for his Eidus achates to clean, " another chap " — some baseborn slave — also put his out. Another, though lesser wrong of which this muchabused flunkey complains, is that someone has been stealing his thunder. When he listened to the dulcet tones of Sir Julius Vogel's voice in the Theatre Royal, he exclaimed, " Ah, these are the very ideas that _Z" and my friend Sir Julius talked over the other evening." Since then, however, some jealous rivals have dared to challenge Jeames' claim, and I hear that at the present time of writing the outraged boot-polisher and privy councillor is bursting with indignation, insomuch that he is in danger of projecting himself through his livery and damaging his silk stockings. Seriously speaking, the fellow is an impertinent, blatant windbag, a fraud pure and simple. Whatever may be Sir Julius Vogel's shortcomings, he does not have recourse to hotel flunkies for counsel.