第 27 节
作者:青涩春天      更新:2024-04-09 19:50      字数:9322
  in the bedwor。
  〃O HangelinaMy adord one; My Arts joy!〃 。 。 。
  〃BAREACRES; me; the ladies of the famly; with their sweet
  Southdown; B's eldest son; and George Silvertop; the shabby Capting
  (who seems to git leaf from his ridgmint whenhever he likes;) have
  beene down into Diddlesex for a few days; enjying the spawts of the
  feald there。
  〃Never having done much in the gunning line (since when a hinnasent
  boy; me and Jim Cox used to go out at Healing; and shoot sparrers
  in the Edges with a pistle)I was reyther dowtfle as to my suxes
  as a shot; and practusd for some days at a stoughd bird in a
  shooting gallery; which a chap histed up and down with a string。  I
  sugseaded in itting the hannimle pretty well。  I bought Awker's
  'Shooting…Guide;' two double…guns at Mantings; and salected from
  the French prints of fashn the most gawjus and ellygant sportting
  ebillyment。  A lite blue velvet and goold cap; woar very much on
  one hear; a cravatt of yaller & green imbroidered satting; a weskit
  of the McGrigger plaid; & a jacket of the McWhirter tartn; (with
  large; motherapurl butns; engraved with coaches & osses; and
  sporting subjix;) high leather gayters; and marocky shooting shoes;
  was the simple hellymence of my costewm; and I flatter myself set
  hoff my figger in rayther a fayverable way。  I took down none of my
  own pusnal istablishmint except Fitzwarren; my hone mann; and my
  grooms; with Desparation and my curricle osses; and the Fourgong
  containing my dressing…case and close。
  〃I was heverywhere introjuiced in the county as the great Railroad
  Cappitlist; who was to make Diddlesex the most prawsperous districk
  of the hempire。  The squires prest forrards to welcome the new
  comer amongst 'em; and we had a Hagricultural Meating of the
  Bareacres tenantry; where I made a speech droring tears from
  heavery i。  It was in compliment to a layborer who had brought up
  sixteen children; and lived sixty years on the istate on seven bobb
  a week。  I am not prowd; though I know my station。  I shook hands
  with that mann in lavinder kidd gloves。  I told him that the
  purshuit of hagriculture wos the noblist hockupations of humannaty:
  I spoke of the yoming of Hengland; who (under the command of my
  hancisters) had conquered at Hadjincourt & Cressy; and I gave him a
  pair of new velveteen inagspressables; with two and six in each
  pocket; as a reward for three score years of labor。  Fitzwarren; my
  man; brought them forrards on a satting cushing。  Has I sat down
  defning chears selewted the horator; the band struck up 'The Good
  Old English Gentleman。'  I looked to the ladies galry; my Hangelina
  waived her ankasher and kissd her &; and I sor in the distans that
  pore Mary Hann efected evidently to tears by my ellaquints。〃
  〃What an adwance that gal has made since she's been in Lady
  Hangelina's company!  Sins she wears her young lady's igsploded
  gownds and retired caps and ribbings; there's an ellygance abowt her
  which is puffickly admarable; and which; haddid to her own natral
  bewty & sweetniss; creates in my boozum serting sensatiums 。 。 。
  Shor! I MUSTN'T give way to fealinx unwuthy of a member of the
  aristoxy。  What can she be to me but a mear recklectiona vishn of
  former ears?
  〃I'm blest if I didn mistake her for Hangelina herself yesterday。
  I met her in the grand Collydore of Bareacres Castle。  I sor a lady
  in a melumcolly hattatude gacing outawinder at the setting sun;
  which was eluminating the fair parx and gardings of the ancient
  demean。
  〃'Bewchus Lady Hangelina;' says I'A penny for your Ladyship's
  thought;' says I。
  〃'Ho; Jeames!  Ho; Mr。 De la Pluche!' hansered a well…known vice;
  with a haxnt of sadnis which went to my art。  'YOU know what my
  thoughts are; well enough。  I was thinking of happy; happy old
  times; when both of us were poopoooor;' says Mary Hann; busting
  out in a phit of crying; a thing I can't ebide。  I took her and
  tried to cumft her: I pinted out the diffrents of our sitawashns;
  igsplained to her that proppaty has its jewties as well as its
  previletches; and that MY juty clearly was to marry into a noble
  famly。  I kep on talking to her (she sobbing and going hon hall the
  time) till Lady Hangelina herself came up'The real Siming Pewer;'
  as they say in the play。
  〃There they stood togetherthem two young women。  I don't know
  which is the ansamest。  I coodn help comparing them; and I coodnt
  help comparing myself to a certing Hannimle I've read of; that
  found it difficklt to make a choice betwigst 2 Bundles of A。〃
  〃That ungrateful beest Fitzwarrenmy oan mana feller I've maid a
  fortune fora feller I give 100 lb。 per hannum to!a low bred
  Wallydyshamber!  HE must be thinking of falling in love too! and
  treating me to his imperence。
  〃He's a great big athlatic fellersix foot i; with a pair of black
  whiskers like air…brusheswith a look of a Colonel in the harmya
  dangerous pawmpus…spoken raskle I warrunt you。  I was coming ome
  from shuiting this hafternoonand passing through Lady Hangelina's
  flour…garding; who should I see in the summerouse; but Mary Hann
  pretending to em an ankyshr and Mr。 Fitzwarren paying his cort to
  her?
  〃'You may as well have me; Mary Hann;' says he。  'I've saved money。
  We'll take a public…house and I'll make a lady of you。  I'm not a
  purse…proud ungrateful fellow like Jeameswho's such a snob ('such
  a SNOB' was his very words!) that I'm ashamed to wait on himwho's
  the laughing stock of all the gentry and the housekeeper's room
  tootry a MAN;' says he'don't be taking on about such a humbug
  as Jeames。'
  〃Here young Joe the keaper's sun; who was carrying my bagg; bust
  out a laffing thereby causing Mr。 Fitwarren to turn round and
  intarupt this polite convasation。
  〃I was in such a rayge。  'Quit the building; Mary Hann;' says I to
  the young womanand you; Mr。 Fitzwarren; have the goodness to
  remain。'
  〃'I give you warning;' roars he; looking black; blue; yallerall
  the colors of the ranebo。
  〃'Take off your coat; you imperent; hungrateful scoundrl;' says I。
  〃'It's not your livery;' says he。
  〃'Peraps you'll understand me; when I take off my own;' says I;
  unbuttoning the motherapurls of the MacWhirter tartn。  'Take my
  jackit; Joe;' says I to the boy;and put myself in a hattitude
  about which there was NO MISTAYK。
  。        。        。        。        。        。
  〃He's 2 stone heavier than meand knows the use of his ands as
  well as most men; but in a fite; BLOOD'S EVERYTHINK: the Snobb
  can't stand before the gentleman; and I should have killed him;
  I've little doubt; but they came and stopt the fite betwigst us
  before we'd had more than 2 rounds。
  〃I punisht the raskle tremenjusly in that time; though; and I'm
  writing this in my own sittn…room; not being able to come down to
  dinner on account of a black…eye I've got; which is sweld up and
  disfiggrs me dreadfl。〃
  〃On account of the hoffle black i which I reseaved in my rangcounter
  with the hinfimus Fitzwarren; I kep my roomb for sevral days; with
  the rose…colored curtings of the apartmint closed; so as to form an
  agreeable twilike; and a light…bloo sattin shayd over the injard
  pheacher。  My woons was thus made to become me as much as pawsable;
  and (has the Poick well observes 'Nun but the Brayv desuvs the
  Fare') I cumsoled myself in the sasiaty of the ladies for my tempory
  disfiggarment。
  〃It was Mary Hann who summind the House and put an end to my
  phisticoughs with Fitzwarren。  I licked him and bare him no mallis:
  but of corse I dismist the imperent scoundrill from my suvvis;
  apinting Adolphus; my page; to his post of confidenshle Valley。
  〃Mary Hann and her young and lovely Mrs。 kep paying me continyoul
  visits during my retiremint。  Lady Hangelina was halways sending me
  messidges by her: while my exlent friend; Lady Bareacres (on the
  contry) was always sending me toakns of affeckshn by Hangelina。
  Now it was a coolin hi…lotium; inwented by herself; that her
  Ladyship would perscribethen; agin; it would be a booky of
  flowers (my favrit polly hanthuses; pellagoniums; and jyponikys);
  which none but the fair &s of Hangelina could dispose about the
  chamber of the hinvyleed。  Ho! those dear mothers! when they wish
  to find a chans for a galliant young feller; or to ixtablish their
  dear gals in life; what awpertunities they WILL give a man!  You'd
  have phansied I was so hill (on account of my black hi); that I
  couldnt live exsep upon chicking and spoon…meat; and jellies; and
  blemonges; and that I coudnt eat the latter dellixies (which I
  ebomminate onternoo; prefurring a cut of beaf or muttn to hall the
  kickpshaws of France); unless Hangelina brought them。  I et 'em;
  and sacrafised myself for her dear sayk。
  〃I may stayt here that in privit convasations with old Lord B。 and
  his son; I had mayd my proposals for Hangelina; and was axepted;
  and hoped soon to be made the appiest gen