Pelham — Volume 08Lytton, Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron
History
Pelham — Volume 08
Lytton, Edward Bulwer Lytton, Baron
Adventure stories; English fiction -- 19th century; Great Britain -- History -- 19th century -- Fiction
"Your honour never saw a jewel box so heavy before, I think," said
Jonson, with a smile.
"A jewel box!" I repeated.
"Yes," returned Jonson--"a jewel box, for it is full of precious stones!
When I go away--not a little in my good landlady's books--I shall desire
her, very importantly, to take the greatest care of 'my box.' Egad! it
would be a treasure to MacAdam: he might pound its flinty contents into a
street."
With these words, Mr. Jonson unlocked a wardrobe in the room, and
produced a full suit of rusty black.
"There!" said he, with an air of satisfaction--"there! this will be your
first step to the pulpit."
I doffed my own attire, and with "some natural sighs," at the deformity
of my approaching metamorphosis, I slowly inducted myself in the clerical
garments: they were much too wide, and a little too short for me; but
Jonson turned me round, as if I were his eldest son, breeched for the
first time--and declared, with an emphatical oath, that the clothes
fitted me to a hair.
My host next opened a tin dressing box, of large dimensions, from which
he took sundry powders, lotions, and paints. Nothing but my extreme
friendship for Glanville could ever have supported me through the
operation I then underwent. My poor complexion, thought I, with tears in
my eyes, it is ruined for ever. To crown all--Jonson robbed me, by four
clips of his scissars, of the luxuriant locks which, from the pampered
indulgence so long accorded to them, might have rebelled against the new
dynasty, which Jonson now elected to the crown. This consisted of a
shaggy, but admirably made wig, of a sandy colour. When I was thus
completely attired from head to foot, Job displayed me to myself before a
full length looking glass.
Had I gazed at the reflection for ever, I should not have recognized
either my form or visage. I thought my soul had undergone a real
transmigration, and not carried to its new body a particle of the
original one. What appeared the most singular was, that I did not seem
even to myself at all a ridiculous or outre figure; so admirably had the
skill of Mr. Jonson been employed. I overwhelmed him with encomiums,
which he took au pied de la lettre. Never, indeed, was there a man so
vain of being a rogue.
"But," said I, "why this disguise? Your friends will, probably, be well
versed enough in the mysteries of metamorphosis, to see even through your
arts; and, as they have never beheld me before, it would very little
matter if I went in propria persona."
"True," answered Job, "but you don't reflect that without disguise you
may hereafter be recognized; our friends walk in Bond-street, as well as
your honour; and, in that case, you might be shot without a second, as
the saying is."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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