burlesques-第14节

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And　poor　little　Franklin　Fox　was　compelled　to　own　that　she　had。



The　maitre　d'hotel　here　announced　that　supper　was　served。　　It　was

remarked　that　even　the　coulis　de　dindonneau　made　no　impression　on

Bagnigge　that　night。





II。





The　sensation　produced　by　the　debut　of　Amethyst　Pimlico　at　the

court　of　the　sovereign；　and　in　the　salons　of　the　beau…monde；　was

such　as　has　seldom　been　created　by　the　appearance　of　any　other

beauty。　　The　men　were　raving　with　love；　and　the　women　with

jealousy。　　Her　eyes；　her　beauty；　her　wit；　her　grace；　her　ton；

caused　a　perfect　fureur　of　admiration　or　envy。



Introduced　by　the　Duchess　of　Fitzbattleaxe；　along　with　her　Grace's

daughters；　the　Ladies　Gwendoline　and　Gwinever　Portcullis；　the

heiress's　regal　beauty　quite　flung　her　cousins'　simple　charms　into

the　shade；　and　blazed　with　a　splendor　which　caused　all　〃minor

lights〃　to　twinkle　faintly。　　Before　a　day　the　beau…monde；　before　a

week　even　the　vulgarians　of　the　rest　of　the　town；　rang　with　the

fame　of　her　charms；　and　while　the　dandies　and　the　beauties　were

raving　about　her；　or　tearing　her　to　pieces　in　May　Fair；　even　Mrs。

Dobbs　（who　had　been　to　the　pit　of　the　〃Hoperer〃　in　a　green　turban

and　a　crumpled　yellow　satin）　talked　about　the　great　HAIRESS　to　her

D。　in　Bloomsbury　Square。



Crowds　went　to　Squab　and　Lynch's；　in　Long　Acre；　to　examine　the

carriages　building　for　her；　so　faultless；　so　splendid；　so　quiet；　so

odiously　unostentatious　and　provokingly　simple！　　Besides　the

ancestral　services　of　argenterie　and　vaisselle　plate；　contained　in

a　hundred　and　seventy…six　plate…chests　at　Messrs。　Childs'；　Rumble

and　Briggs　prepared　a　gold　service；　and　Garraway；　of　the　Haymarket；

a　service　of　the　Benvenuto　Cellini　pattern；　which　were　the

admiration　of　all　London。　　Before　a　month　it　is　a　fact　that　the

wretched　haberdashers　in　the　city　exhibited　the　blue　stocks；　called

〃Heiress…killers；　very　chaste；　two…and…six：〃　long　before　that；　the

monde　had　rushed　to　Madame　Crinoline's；　or　sent　couriers　to　Madame

Marabou；　at　Paris；　so　as　to　have　copies　of　her　dresses；　but；　as　the

Mantuan　bard　observes；　〃Non　cuivis　contigit；〃every　foot　cannot

accommodate　itself　to　the　chaussure　of　Cinderella。



With　all　this　splendor；　this　worship；　this　beauty；　with　these

cheers　following　her；　and　these　crowds　at　her　feet；　was　Amethyst

happy？　　Ah；　no！　　It　is　not　under　the　necklace　the　most　brilliant

that　Briggs　and　Rumble　can　supply；　it　is　not　in　Lynch's　best

cushioned　chariot　that　the　heart　is　most　at　ease。　　〃Que　je　me

ruinerai；〃　says　Fronsac　in　a　letter　to　Bossuet；　〃si　je　savais　ou

acheter　le　bonheur！〃



With　all　her　riches；　with　all　her　splendor；　Amethyst　was　wretched

wretched；　because　lonely；　wretched；　because　her　loving　heart　had

nothing　to　cling　to。　　Her　splendid　mansion　was　a　convent；　no　male

person　even　entered　it；　except　Franklin　Fox；　（who　counted　for

nothing；）　and　the　duchess's　family；　her　kinsman　old　Lord

Humpington；　his　friend　old　Sir　John　Fogey；　and　her　cousin；　the

odious；　odious　Borodino。



The　Prince　de　Borodino　declared　openly　that　Amethyst　was　engaged　to

him。　　Crible　de　dettes；　it　is　no　wonder　that　he　should　choose　such

an　opportunity　to　refaire　sa　fortune。　　He　gave　out　that　he　would

kill　any　man　who　should　cast　an　eye　on　the　heiress；　and　the　monster

kept　his　word。　　Major　Grigg；　of　the　Lifeguards；　had　already　fallen

by　his　hand　at　Ostend。　　The　O'Toole；　who　had　met　her　on　the　Rhine；

had　received　a　ball　in　his　shoulder　at　Coblentz；　and　did　not　care

to　resume　so　dangerous　a　courtship。　　Borodino　could　snuff　a　bougie

at　a　hundred　and　fifty　yards。　　He　could　beat　Bertrand　or　Alexander

Dumas　himself　with　the　small…sword：　he　was　the　dragon　that　watched

this　pomme　d'or；　and　very　few　persons　were　now　inclined　to　face　a

champion　si　redoutable。



Over　a　salmi　d'escargot　at　the　〃Coventry；〃　the　dandies　whom　we

introduced　in　our　last　volume　were　assembled；　there　talking　of　the

heiress；　and　her　story　was　told　by　Franklin　Fox　to　Lord　Bagnigge；

who；　for　a　wonder；　was　interested　in　the　tale。　　Borodino's

pretensions　were　discussed；　and　the　way　in　which　the　fair　Amethyst

was　confined。　　Fitzbattleaxe　House；　in　Belgrave　Square；　isas

everybody　knowsthe　next　mansion　to　that　occupied　by　Amethyst。　　A

communication　was　made　between　the　two　houses。　　She　never　went　out

except　accompanied　by　the　duchess's　guard；　which　it　was　impossible

to　overcome。



〃Impossible！　　Nothing's　impossible；〃　said　Lord　Bagnigge。



〃I　bet　you　what　you　like　you　don't　get　in；〃　said　the　young　Marquis

of　Martingale。



〃I　bet　you　a　thousand　ponies　I　stop　a　week　in　the　heiress's　house

before　the　season's　over；〃　Lord　Bagnigge　replied　with　a　yawn；　and

the　bet　was　registered　with　shouts　of　applause。



But　it　seemed　as　if　the　Fates　had　determined　against　Lord　Bagnigge；

for　the　very　next　day；　riding　in　the　Park；　his　horse　fell　with　him；

he　was　carried　home　to　his　house　with　a　fractured　limb　and　a

dislocated　shoulder；　and　the　doctor's　bulletins　pronounced　him　to

be　in　the　most　dangerous　state。





Martingale　was　a　married　man；　and　there　was　no　danger　of　HIS　riding

by　the　Fitzbattleaxe　carriage。　　A　fortnight　after　the　above　events；

his　lordship　was　prancing　by　her　Grace's　great　family　coach；　and

chattering　with　Lady　Gwinever　about　the　strange　wager。



〃Do　you　know　what　a　pony　is；　Lady　Gwinever？〃　he　asked。　　Her

ladyship　said　yes：　she　had　a　cream…colored　one　at　Castle　Barbican；

and　stared　when　Lord　Martingale　announced　that　he　should　soon　have

a　thousand　ponies；　worth　five…and…twenty　pounds　each；　which　were

all　now　kept　at　Coutts's。　　Then　he　explained　the　circumstances　of

the　bet　with　Bagnigge。　　Parliament　was　to　adjourn　in　ten　days；　the

season　would　be　over！　　Bagnigge　was　lying　ill　chez　lui；　and　the

five…and…twenty　thousand　were　irrecoverably　his。　　And　he　vowed　he

would　buy　Lord　Binnacle's　yachtcrew；　captain；　guns　and　all。



On　returning　home　that　night　from　Lady　Polkimore's；　Martingale

found　among　the　many　billets　upon　the　gold　plateau　in　his

antichambre；　the　following　brief　one；　which　made　him　start





〃DEAR　MARTINGALE。Don't　be　too　sure　of　Binnacle's　yacht。　　There

are　still　ten　days　before　the　season　is　over；　and　my　ponies　may　lie

at　Coutts's　for　some　time　to　come。



〃Yours；



〃BAGNIGGE。



〃P。　S。I　write　with　my　left　hand；　for　my　right　is　still　splintered

up　from　that　confounded　fall。〃





III。





The　tall　footman；　number　four；　who　had　come　in　the　place　of　John；

cashiered；　（for　want　of　proper　mollets；　and　because　his　hair　did

not　take　powder　well；）　had　given　great　satisfaction　to　the　under…

butler；　who　reported　well　of　him　to　his　chief；　who　had　mentioned

his　name　with　praise　to　the　house…steward。　　He　was　so　good…looking

and　well…spoken　a　young　man；　that　the　ladies　in　the　housekeeper's

room　deigned　to　notice　him　more　than　once；　nor　was　his　popularity

diminished　on　account　of　a　quarrel　in　which　he　engaged　with

Monsieur　Anatole；　the　enormous　Walloon　chasseur；　who　was　one　day

found　embracing　Miss　Flouncy；　who　waited　on　Amethyst's　own　maid。

The　very　instant　Miss　Flouncy　saw　Mr。　Jeames　entering　the　Servants'

Hall；　where　Monsieur　Anatole　was　engaged　in　〃aggravating〃　her；　Miss

Flouncy　screamed：　at　the　next　moment　the　Belgian　giant　lay

sprawling　upon　the　carpet；　and　Jeames；　standing　over　him；　assumed

so　terrible　a　look；　that　the　chasseur　declined　any　further　combat。

The　victory　was　made　known　to　the　house…steward　himself；　who；　being

a　little　partial　to　Miss　Flouncy　herself；　complimented　Jeames　on

his　valor；　and　poured　out　a　glass　of　Madeira　in　his　own　room。



Who　was　Jeames？　　He　had　come　recommended　by　the　Bagnigge　people。

He　had　lived；　he　said；　in　that　family　two　years。　　〃But　where　there

was　no　ladies；〃　he　said；　〃a　gentleman's　hand　was　spiled　for

service；〃　and　Jeames's　was　a　very　delicate　hand；　Miss　Flouncy

admired　it　very　much；　and　of　course　he　did　not　defile　it　by　menial

service：　he　had　in　a　young　man　who　called　him　sir；　and　did　all　the

coarse　work；　and　Jeames　read　the　morning　paper　to　the　ladies；　not

spellingly　and　with　hesitation；　as　many　gentlemen　do；　but　easily

and　elegantly；　speaking　off　the　longest　words　without　a　moment's

difficulty。　　He　could　speak　French；　too；　Miss　Flouncy　found；　who

was　studying　it　under　Mademoiselle　Grande　fille…de…chambre　de

confiance；　for　when　she　said　to　him；　〃Polly　voo　Fransy；　Munseer

Jeames？〃　he　replied　readily；　〃We；　Mademaselle；　j'ay　passay　boco　de

tong　a　Parry。　　Commong　voo　potty　voo？〃　　How　Miss　Flouncy　admired

him　as　he　stood　before　her；　the　day　after　he　had　saved　Miss

Amethyst　when　the　horses　had　run　away　with　her　in　the　Park！



Poor　Flouncy；　poor　Flouncy！　　Jeames　had　been　but　a　week　in

Amethyst's　service；　and　already　the　gentle　heart　of　the　washing…

girl　was　irrecoverably　gone！　　Poor　Flouncy！　　Poor　Flouncy！　he

thought　not　of　thee。



It　happened　thus。　　Miss　Amethyst　being　engaged　to　drive　with　her

cousin　the　prince　in　his　phaeton；　her　own　ca