Tales and Novels — Volume 01: Moral TalesEdgeworth, Maria
General
Tales and Novels — Volume 01: Moral Tales
Edgeworth, Maria
Fiction
"No, ma'am," replied Mrs. Puffit, with a malicious smile--"but when you
_was_ living on Saint Augustin's Back."
"Saint Augustin's Back, my dear!" exclaimed Lady Diana Chillingworth,
with a look of horror and amazement.
Miss Burrage, laying down a bank-note on the counter, made a quick and
expressive sign to the milliner to hold her tongue.
"Dear Mrs. Puffit," cried she, "you certainly mistake me for some other
strange person. Lady Di., now I look at it with my glass, this lace _is_
very fine, I must agree with you, and not dear, by any means, for real
Valenciennes: cut me off three yards of this lace--I protest there's no
withstanding it, Lady Di."
"Three yards at eight and twenty--here, Jesse," said Mrs. Puffit. "I beg
your pardon, ma'am, for my mistake; I supposed it was some other lady
of the same name; there are so many Burrages. _Only_ three yards did you
say, ma'am?"
"Nay, I don't care if you give me four. I'm of the Burrages of
Dorsetshire."
"A very good family, those Burrages of Dorsetshire, as any in England,"
said Lady Di.--"and put up twelve yards of this for me, Mrs. Puffit."
"Twelve at eight and twenty--yes, my lady--very much obliged to your
ladyship--much obliged to you, Miss Burrage. Here, Jesse, this to my
Lady Di. Chillingworth's carriage." Jesse called at the shop-door, in a
shrill voice, to a black servant of Lady Frances Somerset--"Mr. Hector,
Mr. Hector! Sir, pray put this parcel into the carriage for Lady Diana
Chillingworth."
Angelina, who was waiting in her hackney-coach, started; she could
scarcely believe that she heard the name rightly:--but, an instant
afterwards, the voice of Lady Diana struck her ear, and she sunk back
in great agitation. However, neither Miss Burrage nor Lady Di. saw her;
they got into their carriage, and drove away.
Angelina was so much alarmed, that she could scarcely believe that the
danger was past when she saw the carriage at the furthest end of the
street.
"Wouldn't you be pleased to 'light, ma'am?" said Jesse.
"We don't bring things to the door."
"Who have we here?" cried Mrs. Puffit; "who have we here?"
"Only some folks out of a hack, that was kept waiting, and couldn't draw
up whilst my Lady Di.'s carriage was at the door," said Jesse.
"A good pretty girl, the foremost," said Mrs. Puffit. "But, in the name
of wonder, what's that odd fish coming behind her?"
"A queer-looking pair, in good truth!" said Jesse.
Angelina seated herself, and gave a deep sigh. "Ribands, if you please,
ma'am," said she to Mrs. Puffit. "I must," thought she, "ask for
something before I ask for my Araminta."
"Ribands--yes, ma'am--what sort? Keep an eye upon the glass," whispered
the milliner to her shop girl, as she stooped behind the counter for a
drawer of ribands--"keep an eye on the glass, Jesse--a girl of the town,
I take it. What colour, ma'am?"
"Blue--'cerulean blue.' Here, child," said Angelina, turning to Betty
Williams, "here's a riband for you."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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