Mrs. Newcome had left her place at the door of her drawing-room, to walk
through her rooms with Rummun Loll, the celebrated Indian merchant,
otherwise His Excellency Rummun Loll, otherwise his Highness Rummun Loll,
the chief proprietor of the diamond-mines in Golconda, with a claim of
three millions and a-half upon the East India Company--who smoked his
hookah after dinner when the ladies were gone, and in whose honour (for
his servants always brought a couple or more of hookahs with them) many
English gentlemen made themselves sick, while trying to emulate the same
practice. Mr. Newcome had been obliged to go to bed himself in
consequence of the uncontrollable nausea produced by the chillum; and
Doctor McGuffog, in hopes of converting His Highness, had puffed his till
he was as black in the face as the interesting Indian--and now, having
hung on his arm--always in the dirty gloves--flirting a fan whilst His
Excellency consumed betel out of a silver box; and having promenaded him
and his turban, and his shawls, and his kincab pelisse, and his lacquered
moustache, and keen brown face; and opal eyeballs, through her rooms, the
hostess came back to her station at the drawing-room door.
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