第 93 节
作者:青涩春天      更新:2024-04-09 19:51      字数:9322
  Well; the horses; the suppers; the opera…box; the paragraphs in the
  papers about Mr。 Coxe Coxe (that's the way: double your name and
  stick an 〃e〃 to the end of it; and you are a gentleman at once);
  had an effect in a wonderfully short space of time; and we began to
  get a very pretty society about us。  Some of old Tug's friends
  swore they would do anything for the family; and brought their
  wives and daughters to see dear Mrs。 Coxe and her charming girl;
  and when; about the first week in February; we announced a grand
  dinner and ball for the evening of the twenty…eighth; I assure you
  there was no want of company: no; nor of titles neither; and it
  always does my heart good even to hear one mentioned。
  Let me see。  There was; first; my Lord Dunboozle; an Irish peer;
  and his seven sons; the Honorable Messieurs Trumper (two only to
  dinner): there was Count Mace; the celebrated French nobleman; and
  his Excellency Baron von Punter from Baden; there was Lady Blanche
  Bluenose; the eminent literati; author of 〃The Distrusted〃 〃The
  Distorted;〃 〃The Disgusted;〃 〃The Disreputable One;〃 and other
  poems; there was the Dowager Lady Max and her daughter; the
  Honorable Miss Adelaide Blueruin; Sir Charles Codshead; from the
  City; and Field…Marshal Sir Gorman O'Gallagher; K。A。; K。B。; K。C。;
  K。W。; K。X。; in the service of the Republic of Guatemala: my friend
  Tagrag and his fashionable acquaintance; little Tom Tufthunt; made
  up the party。  And when the doors were flung open; and Mr。 Hock; in
  black; with a white napkin; three footmen; coachman; and a lad whom
  Mrs。 C。 had dressed in sugar…loaf buttons and called a page; were
  seen round the dinner…table; all in white gloves; I promise you I
  felt a thrill of elation; and thought to myselfSam Cox; Sam Cox;
  who ever would have expected to see you here?
  After dinner; there was to be; as I said; an evening…party; and
  to this Messieurs Tagrag and Tufthunt had invited many of the
  principal nobility that our metropolis had produced。  When I
  mention; among the company to tea; her Grace the Duchess of Zero;
  her son the Marquis of Fitzurse; and the Ladies North Pole her
  daughters; when I say that there were yet OTHERS; whose names may
  be found in the Blue Book; but shan't; out of modesty; be mentioned
  here; I think I've said enough to show that; in our time; No。 96;
  Portland Place; was the resort of the best of company。
  It was our first dinner; and dressed by our new cook; Munseer
  Cordongblew。  I bore it very well; eating; for my share; a filly
  dysol allamater dotell; a cutlet soubeast; a pully bashymall; and
  other French dishes: and; for the frisky sweet wine; with tin tops
  to the bottles; called Champang; I must say that me and Mrs。 Coxe…
  Tuggeridge Coxe drank a very good share of it (but the Claret and
  Jonnysberger; being sour; we did not much relish)。  However; the
  feed; as I say; went off very well: Lady Blanche Bluenose sitting
  next to me; and being so good as to put me down for six copies of
  all her poems; the Count and Baron von Punter engaging Jemimarann
  for several waltzes; and the Field…Marshal plying my dear Jemmy
  with Champagne; until; bless her! her dear nose became as red as
  her new crimson satin gown; which; with a blue turban and bird…of…
  paradise feathers; made her look like an empress; I warrant。
  Well; dinner past; Mrs。 C。 and the ladies went off:thunder…under…
  under came the knocks at the door; squeedle…eedle…eedle; Mr。
  Wippert's fiddlers began to strike up; and; about half…past eleven;
  me and the gents thought it high time to make our appearance。  I
  felt a LITTLE squeamish at the thought of meeting a couple of
  hundred great people; but Count Mace and Sir Gorman O'Gallagher
  taking each an arm; we reached; at last; the drawing…room。
  The young ones in company were dancing; and the Duchess and the
  great ladies were all seated; talking to themselves very stately;
  and working away at the ices and macaroons。  I looked out for my
  pretty Jemimarann amongst the dancers; and saw her tearing round
  the room along with Baron Punter; in what they call a gallypard;
  then I peeped into the circle of the Duchesses; where; in course; I
  expected to find Mrs。 C。; but she wasn't there!  She was seated at
  the further end of the room; looking very sulky; and I went up and
  took her arm; and brought her down to the place where the Duchesses
  were。  〃Oh; not there!〃 said Jemmy; trying to break away。
  〃Nonsense; my dear;〃 says I: 〃you are missis; and this is your
  place。〃  Then going up to her ladyship the Duchess; says I; 〃Me and
  my missis are most proud of the honor of seeing of you。〃
  The Duchess (a tall red…haired grenadier of a woman) did not speak。
  I went on: 〃The young ones are all at it; ma'am; you see; and so we
  thought we would come and sit down among the old ones。  You and I;
  ma'am; I think; are too stiff to dance。〃
  〃Sir!〃 says her Grace。
  〃Ma'am;〃 says I; 〃don't you know me?  My name's Cox。  Nobody's
  introduced me; but; dash it; it's my own house; and I may present
  myselfso give us your hand; ma'am。〃
  And I shook hers in the kindest way in the world; butwould you
  believe it?the old cat screamed as if my hand had been a hot
  'tater。  〃Fitzurse! Fitzurse!〃 shouted she; 〃help! help!〃  Up
  scuffled all the other Dowagersin rushed the dancers。  〃Mamma!
  mamma!〃 squeaked Lady Julia North Pole。  〃Lead me to my mother;〃
  howled Lady Aurorer: and both came up and flung themselves into her
  arms。  〃Wawt's the raw?〃 said Lord Fitzurse; sauntering up quite
  stately。
  〃Protect me from the insults of this man;〃 says her Grace。  〃Where's
  Tufthunt? he promised that not a soul in this house should speak
  to me。〃
  〃My dear Duchess;〃 said Tufthunt; very meek。
  〃Don't Duchess ME; sir。  Did you not promise they should not speak;
  and hasn't that horrid tipsy wretch offered to embrace me?  Didn't
  his monstrous wife sicken me with her odious familiarities?  Call
  my people; Tufthunt!  Follow me; my children!〃
  〃And my carriage;〃 〃And mine;〃 〃And mine!〃 shouted twenty more
  voices。  And down they all trooped to the hall: Lady Blanche
  Bluenose and Lady Max among the very first; leaving only the
  Field…Marshal and one or two men; who roared with laughter ready
  to split。
  〃Oh; Sam;〃 said my wife; sobbing; 〃why would you take me back to
  them? they had sent me away before!  I only asked the Duchess
  whether she didn't like rum…shrub better than all your Maxarinos
  and Curasosos: andwould you believe it?all the company burst
  out laughing; and the Duchess told me just to keep off; and not to
  speak till I was spoken to。  Imperence!  I'd like to tear her eyes
  out。〃
  And so I do believe my dearest Jemmy would!
  A DAY WITH THE SURREY HOUNDS。
  Our ball had failed so completely that Jemmy; who was bent still
  upon fashion; caught eagerly at Tagrag's suggestion; and went down
  to Tuggeridgeville。  If we had a difficulty to find friends in
  town; here there was none: for the whole county came about us; ate
  our dinners and suppers; danced at our ballsay; and spoke to us
  too。  We were great people in fact: I a regular country gentleman;
  and as such; Jemmy insisted that I should be a sportsman; and join
  the county hunt。  〃But;〃 says I; 〃my love; I can't ride。〃  〃Pooh!
  Mr。 C。〃 said she; 〃you're always making difficulties: you thought
  you couldn't dance a quadrille; you thought you couldn't dine at
  seven o'clock; you thought you couldn't lie in bed after six; and
  haven't you done every one of these things?  You must and you shall
  ride!〃  And when my Jemmy said 〃must and shall;〃 I knew very well
  there was nothing for it: so I sent down fifty guineas to the hunt;
  and; out of compliment to me; the very next week; I received notice
  that the meet of the hounds would take place at Squashtail Common;
  just outside my lodge…gates。
  I didn't know what a meet was; and me and Mrs。 C。 agreed that it
  was most probable the dogs were to be fed there。  However; Tagrag
  explained this matter to us; and very kindly promised to sell me a
  horse; a delightful animal of his own; which; being desperately
  pressed for money; he would let me have for a hundred guineas; he
  himself having given a hundred and fifty for it。
  Well; the Thursday came: the hounds met on Squashtail Common; Mrs。
  C。 turned out in her barouche to see us throw off; and; being
  helped up on my chestnut horse; Trumpeter; by Tagrag and my head
  groom; I came presently round to join them。
  Tag mounted his own horse; and; as we walked down the avenue; 〃I
  thought;〃 he said; 〃you told me you knew how to ride; and that you
  had ridden once fifty miles on a stretch!〃
  〃And so I did;〃 says I; 〃to Cambridge; and on the box too。〃
  〃ON THE BOX!〃 says he; 〃but did you ever mount a horse before?〃
  〃Never;〃 says I; 〃but I find it mighty easy。〃
  〃Well;〃 says he; 〃you're mighty bold for a barber; and I like you;
  Coxe; for your spirit。〃  And so w