New Arabian Nights

During his residence in London, the accomplished Prince Florizel of Bohemiagained the affection of all classes by the seduction of his manner and by awell-considered generosity. He was a remarkable man even by what wasknown of him; and that was but a small part of what he actually did. Althoughof a placid temper in ordinary circumstances, and accustomed to take theworld with as much philosophy as any ploughman, the Prince of Bohemia wasnot without a taste for ways of life more...
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During his residence in London, the accomplished Prince Florizel of Bohemiagained the affection of all classes by the seduction of his manner and by awell-considered generosity. He was a remarkable man even by what wasknown of him; and that was but a small part of what he actually did. Althoughof a placid temper in ordinary circumstances, and accustomed to take theworld with as much philosophy as any ploughman, the Prince of Bohemia wasnot without a taste for ways of life more adventurous and eccentric than that towhich he was destined by his birth. Now and then, when he fell into a lowhumour, when there was no laughable play to witness in any of the Londontheatres, and when the season of the year was unsuitable to those field sportsin which he excelled all competitors, he would summon his confidant andMaster of the Horse, Colonel Geraldine, and bid him prepare himself againstan evening ramble. The Master of the Horse was a young officer of a braveand even temerarious disposition. He greeted the news with delight, andhastened to make ready. Long practice and a varied acquaintance of life hadgiven him a singular facility in disguise; he could adapt not only his face andbearing, but his voice and almost his thoughts, to those of any rank, character,or nation; and in this way he diverted attention from the Prince, and sometimesgained admission for the pair into strange societies. The civil authorities werenever taken into the secret of these adventures; the imperturbable courage ofthe one and the ready invention and chivalrous devotion of the other hadbrought them through a score of dangerous passes; and they grew inconfidence as time went on.