‘Yes; and having got the jewels, go to Glumboso’s apartment, where,
under his bed, you will find sacks containing money to the amount of
L2I7,000,000,987,439, 13S. 6 1/2d., all belonging to you, for he took
it out of your royal father’s room on the day of his death. With this we
will fly.’
‘WE will fly?’ says Giglio.
‘Yes, you and your bride--your affianced love--your Gruffy!’ says the
Countess, with a languishing leer.
‘YOU my bride!’ says Giglio. ‘You, you hideous old woman!’
‘Oh, you--you wretch! didn’t you give me this paper promising marriage?’
cries Gruff.
‘Get away, you old goose! I love Betsinda, and Betsinda only!’ And in a
fit of terror he ran from her as quickly as he could.
‘He! he! he!’ shrieks out Gruff; ‘a promise is a promise if there are
laws in Paflagonia! And as for that monster, that wretch, that fiend,
that ugly little vixen--as for that upstart, that ingrate, that beast,
Betsinda, Master Giglio will have no little difficulty in discovering
her whereabouts. He may look very long before finding HER, I warrant. He
little knows that Miss Betsinda is--’
Is--what? Now, you shall hear. Poor Betsinda got up at five in winter’s
morning to bring her cruel mistress her tea; and instead of finding
her in a good humour, found Gruffy as cross as two sticks. The Countess
boxed Betsinda’s ears half a dozen times whilst she was dressing; but
as poor little Betsinda was used to this kind of treatment, she did not
feel any special alarm. ‘And now,’ says she, ‘when Her Majesty rings her
bell twice, I’ll trouble you, miss, to attend.’
So when the Queen’s bell rang twice, Betsinda came to Her Majesty and
made a pretty little curtsey. The Queen, the Princess, and Gruffanuff
were all three in the room. As soon as they saw her they began,
‘You wretch!’ says the Queen.
‘You little vulgar thing!’ says the Princess.
‘You beast!’ says Gruffanuff.
‘Get out of my sight!’ says the Queen.
‘Go away with you, do!’ says the Princess.
‘Quit the premises!’ says Gruffanuff.
‘Alas! and woe is me!’ very lamentable events had occurred to Betsinda
that morning, and all in consequence of that fatal warming-pan business
of the previous night. The King had offered to marry her; of course Her
Majesty the Queen was jealous: Bulbo had fallen in love with her; of
course Angelica was furious: Giglio was in love with her, and oh, what a
fury Gruffy was in!
‘Take off that {cap } I gave you,’
{petticoat} they said, all
{gown } at once,
and began tearing the clothes off poor Betsinda.
‘How (the King?’ } cried the Queen,
dare you {Prince Bulbo?’ } the Princess, and
flirt with {Prince Giglio?’ } Countess.
‘Give her the rags she wore when she came into the house, and turn her
out of it!’ cries the Queen.
‘Mind she does not go with MY shoes on, which I lent her so kindly,’
says the Princess; and indeed the Princess’s shoes were a great deal too
big for Betsinda.
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.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account