The Bedford-Row ConspiracyThackeray, William Makepeace
General
The Bedford-Row Conspiracy
Thackeray, William Makepeace
England -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction
Could anything resist a man like this? John Perkins, who had come down
as one of Scully's aides-de-camp, in a fit of generous enthusiasm,
leaped on a whist-table, flung up a pocket-handkerchief, and
shrieked--“SCULLY FOR EVER!”
Heeltap, who was generally drunk, fairly burst into tears, and the grave
tradesmen and Whig gentry, who had dined with the Member at his inn, and
accompanied him thence to the “Gorgon Arms,” lifted their deep voices
and shouted “Hear!” “Good!” “Bravo!” “Noble!” “Scully for ever!” “God
bless him!” and “Hurrah!”
The scene was tumultuously affecting; and when young Perkins sprang down
from the table and came blushing up to the Member, that gentleman said,
“Thank you, Jack! THANK you, my boy! THANK you,” in a way which made
Perkins think that his supreme cup of bliss was quaffed; that he had but
to die: for that life had no other such joy in store for him. Scully
was Perkins's Napoleon--he yielded himself up to the attorney, body and
soul.
Whilst this scene was going on under one chandelier of the ballroom,
beneath the other scarlet little General Gorgon, sumptuous Lady Gorgon,
the daughters and niece Gorgons, were standing surrounded by their Tory
court, who affected to sneer and titter at the Whig demonstrations which
were taking place.
“What a howwid thmell of whithkey!” lisped Cornet Fitch, of the
Dragoons, to Miss Lucy, confidentially. “And the--the are what they call
Whigth, are they? He! he!”
“They are drunk, ----me, --drunk, by ----!” said the General to the
Mayor.
“WHICH is Scully?” said Lady Gorgon, lifting her glass gravely (she was
at that very moment thinking of the syllabubs). “Is it that tipsy man in
the green coat, or that vulgar creature in the blue one?”
“Law, my Lady,” said the Mayoress, “have you forgotten him? Why, that's
him in blue and buff.”
“And a monthous fine man, too,” said Cornet Fitch. “I wish we had him in
our twoop--he'th thix feet thwee, if he'th an inch; ain't he, Genewal?”
No reply.
“And heavens! Mamma,” shrieked the three Gorgons in a breath, “see, one
creature is on the whist-table. Oh, the wretch!
“I'm sure he's very good-looking,” said Lucy, simply.
Lady Gorgon darted at her an angry look, and was about to say something
very contemptuous, when, at that instant, John Perkins's shout taking
effect, Master George Augustus Frederick Grimsby Gorgon, not knowing
better, incontinently raised a small shout on his side.
“Hear! good! bravo!” exclaimed he; “Scully for ever! Hurra-a-a-ay!” and
fell skipping about like the Whigs opposite.
“Silence, you brute you!” groaned Lady Gorgon; and seizing him by the
shirt-frill and coat-collar, carried him away to his nurse, who, with
many other maids of the Whig and Tory parties, stood giggling and
peeping at the landing-place.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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