"
Declaring that wine was the ruin of the place, he imported--it was the
lady's idea, originally--the far-famed "Red-and-Blue" brand of whisky in
barrels. The liquid was bottled in the cellars of the Residency. What
happened during that process was never revealed. It was affirmed, none
the less, that one barrel of the original stuff was more than enough
for three barrelfuls of the bottled product. Cultured members, on
drinking it, were wont to say things about Locusta and Borgia. The
commoner sort swore like hell at Freddy Parker. It made you feel
squiffy after the sixth glass--argumentative, magisterial, maudlin,
taciturn, erotic, sentimental, sea-sick, ecstatic, paralysed,
lachrymose, hilarious, pugilistic--according to your temperament.
Whatever your temperament it gave you a thundering head next morning,
and a throat like Nebuchadnezzar's fiery furnace. It was known as
"Parker's poison."
The stuff was served, at an alluring price, out of bottles adorned with
a seductive label--a label which had been designed by an impecunious
artist who, after running up a rousing bill for drinks, got off payment
on the strength of this job.
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