The Tremendous Adventures of Major GahaganThackeray, William Makepeace
History
The Tremendous Adventures of Major Gahagan
Thackeray, William Makepeace
India -- History -- British occupation, 1765-1947 -- Fiction
Two drumsticks of fowls, and a bone of ham.
Fourteen bottles of ginger-beer.
Of soda-water, four ditto.
Two bottles of fine Spanish olives.
Raspberry cream—the remainder of two dishes.
Seven macaroons, lying in the puddle of a demolished trifle.
Half a drum of best Turkey figs.
Some bits of broken bread; two Dutch cheeses (whole); the crust of an
old Stilton; and about an ounce of almonds and raisins.
Three ham-sandwiches, and a pot of currant-jelly, and 197 bottles of
brandy, rum, madeira, pale ale (my private stock); a couple of hard
eggs for a salad, and a flask of Florence oil.
This was the provision for the whole garrison! The men after supper had
seized upon the relics of the repast, as they were carried off from the
table; and these were the miserable remnants I found and counted on my
return; taking good care to lock the door of the supper-room, and
treasure what little sustenance still remained in it.
When I appeared in the saloon, now lighted up by the morning sun, I not
only caused a sensation myself, but felt one in my own bosom which was
of the most painful description. Oh, my reader! may you never behold
such a sight as that which presented itself: eighty-three men and women
in ball-dresses; the former with their lank powdered locks streaming
over their faces; the latter with faded flowers, uncurled wigs, smudged
rouge, blear eyes, draggling feathers, rumpled satins—each more
desperately melancholy and hideous than the other—each, except my
beloved Belinda Bulcher, whose raven ringlets never having been in curl
could of course never go _out_ of curl; whose cheek, pale as the lily,
could, as it may naturally be supposed, grow no paler; whose neck and
beauteous arms, dazzling as alabaster, needed no pearl-powder, and
therefore, as I need not state, did not suffer because the pearl-powder
had come off. Joy (deft link-boy!) lit his lamps in each of her eyes as
I entered. As if I had been her sun, her spring, lo! blushing roses
mantled in her cheek! Seventy-three ladies, as I entered, opened their
fire upon me, and stunned me with cross-questions, regarding my
adventures in the camp—_she_, as she saw me, gave a faint scream (the
sweetest, sure, that ever gurgled through the throat of a woman!) then
started up—then made as if she would sit down—then moved backwards—then
tottered forwards—then tumbled into my—Psha! why recall, why attempt to
describe that delicious—that passionate greeting of two young hearts?
What was the surrounding crowd to _us?_ What cared we for the sneers of
the men, the titters of the jealous women, the shrill “Upon my word!”
of the elder Miss Bulcher, and the loud expostulations of Belinda’s
mamma? The brave girl loved me, and wept in my arms. “Goliah! my
Goliah!” said she, “my brave, my beautiful, _thou_ art returned, and
hope comes back with thee. Oh! who can tell the anguish of my soul,
during this dreadful dreadful night!” Other similar ejaculations of
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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