“I'm blest if I didn mistake her for Hangelina herself yesterday. I
met her in the grand Collydore of Bareacres Castle. I sor a lady in a
melumcolly hattatude gacing outawinder at the setting sun, which was
eluminating the fair parx and gardings of the ancient demean.
“'Bewchus Lady Hangelina,' says I--'A penny for your Ladyship's
thought,' says I.
“'Ho, Jeames! Ho, Mr. De la Pluche!' hansered a well-known vice, with
a haxnt of sadnis which went to my art. 'YOU know what my thoughts are,
well enough. I was thinking of happy, happy old times, when both of us
were poo--poo--oor,' says Mary Hann, busting out in a phit of crying, a
thing I can't ebide. I took her and tried to cumft her: I pinted out
the diffrents of our sitawashns; igsplained to her that proppaty has
its jewties as well as its previletches, and that MY juty clearly was to
marry into a noble famly. I kep on talking to her (she sobbing and going
hon hall the time) till Lady Hangelina herself came up--'The real Siming
Pewer,' as they say in the play.
“There they stood together--them two young women. I don't know which is
the ansamest. I coodn help comparing them; and I coodnt help comparing
myself to a certing Hannimle I've read of, that found it difficklt to
make a choice betwigst 2 Bundles of A.”
“That ungrateful beest Fitzwarren--my oan man--a feller I've maid
a fortune for--a feller I give 100 lb. per hannum to!--a low bred
Wallydyshamber! HE must be thinking of falling in love too! and treating
me to his imperence.
“He's a great big athlatic feller--six foot i, with a pair of black
whiskers like air-brushes--with a look of a Colonel in the harmy--a
dangerous pawmpus-spoken raskle I warrunt you. I was coming ome
from shuiting this hafternoon--and passing through Lady Hangelina's
flour-garding, who should I see in the summerouse, but Mary Hann
pretending to em an ankyshr and Mr. Fitzwarren paying his cort to her?
“'You may as well have me, Mary Hann,' says he. 'I've saved money. We'll
take a public-house and I'll make a lady of you. I'm not a purse-proud
ungrateful fellow like Jeames--who's such a snob ['such a SNOB' was his
very words!) that I'm ashamed to wait on him--who's the laughing stock
of all the gentry and the housekeeper's room too--try a MAN,' says
he--'don't be taking on about such a humbug as Jeames.'
“Here young Joe the keaper's sun, who was carrying my bagg, bust out a
laffing thereby causing Mr. Fitwarren to turn round and intarupt this
polite convasation.
“I was in such a rayge. 'Quit the building, Mary Hann,' says I to the
young woman--and you, Mr. Fitzwarren, have the goodness to remain.'
“'I give you warning,' roars he, looking black, blue, yaller--all the
colors of the ranebo.
“'Take off your coat, you imperent, hungrateful scoundrl,' says I.
“'It's not your livery,' says he.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account