The Old Chelsea Bun-House: A Tale of the Last CenturyManning, Anne
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The Old Chelsea Bun-House: A Tale of the Last Century
Manning, Anne
England -- Social life and customs -- 18th century -- Fiction
And so we went on as merry as Crickets, till I began to think of two
Things at once; that is to say, of two Dozen--the Anagram before
me--and Sausage Rolls, Oyster Patties, stewed Sweetbreads, and so forth
for Supper; and to be sensible that I must go and look after them. Just
then, I noticed a distressed look cross _Prue's_ Face at some little
Attention Mr. _Fenwick_ paid Mrs. _Gatty_. "Dear me, how foolish of
you, _Prue_," thought I, "to be vexed by Anything like that! Why, he
cares very little about _you_, and Nothing at all for _her_!" And,
stealing from my Seat, I was about to withdraw quietly to the Kitchen,
when suddenly the Parlour-Door flies wide open, and on the Threshold
stands my poor _Father_, with a Face as red as his Waistcoat, who after
giving an amazed Glance round about him, exclaims:
"Hoity-toity! Who are all these young Fellows, amusing themselves in my
_Chinese_ Parlour?"
I thought Mr. _Caryl_ would have gone into Fits with suppressed
Laughter. "Sir," said he, advancing and bowing, "I as the chief
Intruder, beg to introduce myself by the Name of Mr. _Paul Caryl_,
of the _Inner Temple_, at your Service; and this is my Friend and
your Lodger, Mr. _Fenwick_, whom I have made a Call upon. The other
Gentleman, you will perceive, is your Family Physician."
"You seem all monstrous merry and mightily at Home with one another,"
says my _Father_, who evidently had, as was but too common, taken a
little too much; "I almost seem like an Interloper in my own House;
however, I don't care if I have a cheerful Glass with you to improve
our Acquaintance. Hallo! where's my Chair gone? I had like to have sat
down upon the Floor."
"Here, Sir," said _Gatty_, hastily rising.
"Here, Sir? and who are _you_, Madam? I don't remember ever to have
seen your Face before; not an ugly one, neither! Pray, are you Mrs.
_Paul Caryl_?"
"Oh no, Sir!"
"Who then? Mrs. ... Mrs. ... I shall forget my own Name next; hum!
Hallo! Why, where are my Senses?"
Mr. _Caryl_ and Mr. _Fenwick_ looked at him in Amazement; while _we_
knew what he missed, well enough.
"Where are they?" reiterated he, raising his Voice very loud, and
stamping the Floor. "Woman!" addressing my _Mother_, "where, I say, are
my Five Senses?"
"Dear Mr. _Honeywood_, they're safe in the China Cupboard," began my
_Mother_, which set Mr. _Caryl_ off in an inextinguishable Fit of
Laughter.
"Are these your Manners, Sir?" cries my _Father_, fiercely turning upon
him.
"'Pon my Honour, I'm ashamed of them," says Mr. _Caryl_, covering his
Face in his Cambric Handkerchief.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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