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burlesques-第31章

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Whistlebinkie。'



〃On driving up to the 'Cairngorm Arms;' I found a gentleman of

military appearance standing at the doer; and occupied seemingly in

smoking a cigar。  It was very dark as I descended from my carriage;

and the gentleman in question exclaimed; 'Is it you; Southdown my

boy?  You have come too late; unless you are come to have some

supper;' or words to that effect。  I explained that I was not the

Lord Viscount Southdown; and politely apprised Captain Silvertop

(for I justly concluded the individual before me could be no other)

of his mistake。



〃'Who the deuce' (the Captain used a stronger term) 'are you;

then?' said Mr。 Silvertop。  'Are you Baggs and Tapewell; my uncle's

attorneys?  If you are; you have come too late for the fair。'



〃I briefly explained that I was not Baggs and Tapewell; but that my

name was Jms; and that I was a gentleman connected with the

establishment of the Morning Tatler newspaper。



〃'And what has brought you here; Mr。 Morning Tatler?' asked my

interlocutor; rather roughly。  My answer was frankthat the

disappearance of a noble lady from the house of her friends had

caused the greatest excitement in the metropolis; and that my

employers were anxious to give the public every particular

regarding an event so singular。



〃'And do you mean to say; sir; that you have dogged me all the way

from London; and that my family affairs are to be published for the

readers of the Morning Tatler newspaper?  The Morning Tatter be 

(the Captain here gave utterance to an oath which I shall not

repeat) and you too; sir; you unpudent meddling scoundrel。'



〃'Scoundrel; sir!' said I。  'Yes;' replied the irate gentleman;

seizing me rudely by the collarand he would have choked me; but

that my blue satin stock and false collar gave way; and were left

in the hands of this GENTLEMAN。  'Help; landlord!' I loudly

exclaimed; adding; I believe; 'murder;' and other exclamations of

alarm。  In vain I appealed to the crowd; which by this time was

pretty considerable; they and the unfeeling post…boys only burst

into laughter; and called out; 'Give it him; Captain。'  A struggle

ensued; in which I have no doubt I should have had the better; but

that the Captain; joining suddenly in the general and indecent

hilarity; which was doubled when I fell down; stopped and said;

'Well; Jims; I won't fight on my marriage…day。  Go into the tap;

Jims; and order a glass of brandy…and…water at my expenseand mind

I don't see your face to…morrow morning; or I'll make it more ugly

than it is。'



〃With these gross expressions and a cheer from the crowd; Mr。

Silvertop entered the inn。  I need not say that I did not partake

of his hospitality; and that personally I despise his insults。  I

make them known that they may call down the indignation of the body

of which I am a member; and throw myself on the sympathy of the

public; as a gentleman shamefully assaulted and insulted in the

discharge of a public duty。〃





〃Thus you've sean how the flower of my affeckshns was tawn out of

my busm; and my art was left bleading。  Hangelina! I forgive thee。

Mace thou be appy!  If ever artfelt prayer for others wheel awailed

on i; the beink on womb you trampled addresses those subblygations

to Evn in your be1/2!



〃I went home like a maniack; after hearing the announcement of

Hangelina's departur。  She'd been gone twenty hours when I heard

the fatle noose。  Purshoot was vain。  Suppose I DID kitch her up;

they were married; and what could we do?  This sensable remark I

made to Earl Bareacres; when that distragted nobleman igspawstulated

with me。  Er who was to have been my mother…in…lor; the Countiss; I

never from that momink sor agin。  My presnts; troosoes; juels; &c。;

were sent backwith the igsepshn of the diminds and Cashmear shawl;

which her Ladyship COODN'T FIND。  Ony it was whispered that at the

nex buthday she was seen with a shawl IGSACKLY OF THE SAME PATTN。

Let er keep it。



〃Southdown was phurius。  He came to me hafter the ewent; and wanted

me adwance 50 lb。; so that he might purshew his fewgitif sister

but I wasn't to be ad with that sort of chaughthere was no more

money for THAT famly。  So he went away; and gave huttrance to his

feelinx in a poem; which appeared (price 2 guineas) in the Bel

Assombly。



〃All the juilers; manchumakers; lacemen; coch bilders; apolstrers;

hors dealers; and weddencake makers came pawring in with their

bills; haggravating feelings already woondid beyond enjurants。

That madniss didn't seaze me that night was a mussy。  Fever; fewry;

and rayge rack'd my hagnized braind; and drove sleap from my

throbbink ilids。  Hall night I follered Hangelinar in imadganation

along the North Road。  I wented cusses & mallydickshuns on the

hinfamus Silvertop。  I kickd and rord in my unhuttarable whoe!  I

seazed my pillar: I pitcht into it: pummld it; strangled it。  Ha

har!  I thought it was Silvertop writhing in my Jint grasp; and taw

the hordayshis villing lim from lim in the terrible strenth of my

despare! 。 。 。  Let me drop a cutting over the memries of that

night。  When my boddy…suvnt came with my ot water in the mawning;

the livid copse in the charnill was not payler than the gashly De

la Pluche!



〃'Give me the Share…list; Mandeville;' I micanickly igsclaimed。  I

had not perused it for the past 3 days; my etention being engayged

elseware。  Hevns & huth!what was it I red there?  What was it

that made me spring outabed as if sumbady had given me cold pig?I

red Rewin in that Share…listthe Pannick was in full hoparation!



        。        。        。        。        。        。



Shall I describe that kitastrafy with which hall Hengland is

familliar?  My & rifewses to cronnicle the misfortns which

lassarated my bleeding art in Hoctober last。  On the fust of

Hawgust where was I?  Director of twenty…three Companies; older of

scrip hall at a primmium; and worth at least a quarter of a

millium。  On Lord Mare's day my Saint Helenas quotid at 14 pm; were

down at 1/2 discount; my Central Ichaboes at 3/8 discount; my Table

Mounting & Hottentot Grand Trunk; no where; my Bathershins and

Derrynane Beg; of which I'd bought 2000 for the account at 17

primmium; down to nix; my Juan Fernandez; my Great Central Oregons;

prostrit。  There was a momint when I thought I shouldn't be alive

to write my own tail!〃



(Here follow in Mr。 Plush's MS。 about twenty…four pages of railroad

calculations; which we pretermit。)



〃Those beests; Pump & Aldgate; once so cringing and umble; wrote me

a threatnen letter because I overdrew my account three…and…

sixpence: woodn't advance me five thousand on 25;000 worth of

scrip; kep me waiting 2 hours when I asked to see the house; and

then sent out Spout; the jewnior partner; saying they wouldn't

discount my paper; and implawed me to clothes my account。  I did: I

paid the three…and…six balliance; and never sor 'em mor。



〃The market fell daily。  The Rewin grew wusser and wusser。

Hagnies; Hagnies! it wasn't in the city aloan my misfortns came

upon me。  They beerded me in my own ome。  The biddle who kips watch

at the Halbany wodn keep misfortn out of my chambers; and Mrs。

Twiddler; of Pall Mall; and Mr。 Hunx; of Long Acre; put egsicution

into my apartmince; and swep off every stick of my furniture。

'Wardrobe & furniture of a man of fashion。'  What an adwertisement

George Robins DID make of it; and what a crowd was collected to

laff at the prospick of my ruing!  My chice plait; my seller of

wine; my pictursthat of myself included (it was Maryhann; bless

her! that bought it; unbeknown to me); allall went to the ammer。

That brootle Fitzwarren; my ex…vally; womb I met; fimilliarly slapt

me on the sholder; and said; 'Jeames; my boy; you'd best go into

suvvis aginn。'



〃I DID go into suvvisthe wust of all suvvicesI went into the

Queen's Bench Prison; and lay there a misrabble captif for 6

mortial weeks。  Misrabble shall I say? no; not misrabble

altogether; there was sunlike in the dunjing of the pore prisner。

I had visitors。  A cart used to drive hup to the prizn gates of

Saturdays; a washywoman's cart; with a fat old lady in it; and a

young one。  Who was that young one?  Every one who has an art can

gess; it was my blue…eyed blushing hangel of a Mary Hann!  'Shall

we take him out in the linnen…basket; grandmamma?' Mary Hann said。

Bless her; she'd already learned to say grandmamma quite natral:

but I didn't go out that way; I went out by the door a whitewashed

man。  Ho; what a feast there was at Healing the day I came out!

I'd thirteen shillings left when I'd bought the gold ring。  I

wasn't prowd。  I turned the mangle for three weeks; and then Uncle

Bill said; 'Well; there IS some good in the feller;' and it was

agreed that we should marry。〃



The Plush manuscript finishes here: it is many weeks since we saw

the accomplished writer; and we have only just learned his fate。

We are happy 
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