第 96 节
作者:青涩春天      更新:2024-04-09 19:51      字数:9322
  in the boxes。
  The opera is bad enough; but what is that to the bally?  You SHOULD
  have seen my Jemmy the first night when she stopped to see it; and
  when Madamsalls Fanny and Theresa Hustler came forward; along with
  a gentleman; to dance; you should have seen how Jemmy stared; and
  our girl blushed; when Madamsall Fanny; coming forward; stood on
  the tips of only five of her toes; and raising up the other five;
  and the foot belonging to them; almost to her shoulder; twirled
  round; and round; and round; like a teetotum; for a couple of
  minutes or more; and as she settled down; at last; on both feet; in
  a natural decent posture; you should have heard how the house
  roared with applause; the boxes clapping with all their might; and
  waving their handkerchiefs; the pit shouting; 〃 Bravo!〃  Some
  people; who; I suppose; were rather angry at such an exhibition;
  threw bunches of flowers at her; and what do you think she did?
  Why; hang me; if she did not come forward; as though nothing had
  happened; gather up the things they had thrown at her; smile; press
  them to her heart; and begin whirling round again faster than ever。
  Talk about coolness; I never saw such in all MY born days。
  〃Nasty thing!〃 says Jemmy; starting up in a fury; 〃if women WILL
  act so; it serves them right to be treated so。〃
  〃Oh; yes! she acts beautifully;〃 says our friend his Excellency;
  who along with Baron von Punter and Tagrag; used very seldom to
  miss coming to our box。
  〃She may act very beautifully; Munseer; but she don't dress so; and
  I am very glad they threw that orange…peel and all those things at
  her; and that the people waved to her to get off。〃
  Here his Excellency; and the Baron and Tag; set up a roar of
  laughter。
  〃My dear Mrs。 Coxe;〃 says Tag; 〃those are the most famous dancers
  in the world; and we throw myrtle; geraniums; and lilies and roses
  at them; in token of our immense admiration!〃
  〃Well; I never!〃 said my wife; and poor Jemimarann slunk behind the
  curtain; and looked as red as it almost。  After the one had done
  the next begun; but when; all of a sudden; a somebody came skipping
  and bounding in; like an Indian…rubber ball; flinging itself up; at
  least six feet from the stage; and there shaking about its legs
  like mad; we were more astonished than ever!
  〃That's Anatole;〃 says one of the gentlemen。
  〃Anna who?〃 says my wife; and she might well be mistaken: for this
  person had a hat and feathers; a bare neck and arms; great black
  ringlets; and a little calico frock; which came down to the knees。
  〃Anatole。  You would not think he was sixty…three years old; he's
  as active as a man of twenty。〃
  〃HE!〃 shrieked out my wife; 〃what; is that there a man?  For shame!
  Munseer。  Jemimarann; dear; get your cloak; and come along; and
  I'll thank you; my dear; to call our people; and let us go home。〃
  You wouldn't think; after this; that my Jemmy; who had shown such a
  horror at the bally; as they call it; should ever grow accustomed
  to it; but she liked to hear her name shouted out in the crush…
  room; and so would stop till the end of everything; and; law bless
  you! in three weeks from that time; she could look at the ballet as
  she would at a dancing…dog in the streets; and would bring her
  double…barrelled opera…glass up to her eyes as coolly as if she had
  been a born duchess。  As for me; I did at Rome as Rome does; and
  precious fun it used to be; sometimes。
  My friend the Baron insisted one night on my going behind the
  scenes; where; being a subscriber; he said I had what they call my
  ONTRAY。  Behind; then; I went; and such a place you never saw nor
  heard of!  Fancy lots of young and old gents of the fashion
  crowding round and staring at the actresses practising their steps。
  Fancy yellow snuffy foreigners; chattering always; and smelling
  fearfully of tobacco。  Fancy scores of Jews; with hooked…noses and
  black muzzles; covered with rings; chains; sham diamonds; and gold
  waistcoats。  Fancy old men dressed in old nightgowns; with knock…
  knees; and dirty flesh…colored cotton stockings; and dabs of brick…
  dust on their wrinkled old chops; and tow…wigs (such wigs!) for the
  bald ones; and great tin spears in their hands mayhap; or else
  shepherds' crooks; and fusty garlands of flowers made of red and
  green baize。  Fancy troops of girls giggling; chattering; pushing
  to and fro; amidst old black canvas; Gothic halls; thrones;
  pasteboard Cupids; dragons; and such like。  Such dirt; darkness;
  crowd; confusion and gabble of all conceivable languages was never
  known!
  If you COULD but have seen Munseer Anatole!  Instead of looking
  twenty; he looked a thousand。  The old man's wig was off; and a
  barber was giving it a touch with the tongs; Munseer was taking
  snuff himself; and a boy was standing by with a pint of beer from
  the public…house at the corner of Charles Street。
  I met with a little accident during the three…quarters of an hour
  which they allow for the entertainment of us men of fashion on the
  stage; before the curtain draws up for the bally; while the ladies
  in the boxes are gaping; and the people in the pit are drumming
  with their feet and canes in the rudest manner possible; as though
  they couldn't wait。
  Just at the moment before the little bell rings and the curtain
  flies up; and we scuffle off to the sides (for we always stay till
  the very last moment); I was in the middle of the stage; making
  myself very affable to the fair figgerantys which was spinning and
  twirling about me; and asking them if they wasn't cold; and such
  like politeness; in the most condescending way possible; when a
  bolt was suddenly withdrawn; and down I popped; through a trap in
  the stage; into the place below。  Luckily I was stopped by a piece
  of machinery; consisting of a heap of green blankets and a young
  lady coming up as Venus rising from the sea。  If I had not fallen
  so soft; I don't know what might have been the consequence of the
  collusion。  I never told Mrs。 Coxe; for she can't bear to hear of
  my paying the least attention to the fair sex。
  STRIKING A BALANCE。
  Next door to us; in Portland Place; lived the Right Honorable the
  Earl of Kilblazes; of Kilmacrasy Castle; County Kildare; and his
  mother the Dowager Countess。  Lady Kilblazes had a daughter; Lady
  Juliana Matilda MacTurk; of the exact age of our dear Jemimarann;
  and a son; the Honorable Arthur Wellington Anglesea Blucher Bulow
  MacTurk; only ten months older than our boy Tug。
  My darling Jemmy is a woman of spirit; and; as become her station;
  made every possible attempt to become acquainted with the Dowager
  Countess of Kilblazes; which her ladyship (because; forsooth; she
  was the daughter of the Minister; and Prince of Wales's great
  friend; the Earl of Portansherry) thought fit to reject。  I don't
  wonder at my Jemmy growing so angry with her; and determining; in
  every way; to put her ladyship down。  The Kilblazes' estate is not
  so large as the Tuggeridge property by two thousand a year at
  least; and so my wife; when our neighbors kept only two footmen;
  was quite authorized in having three; and she made it a point; as
  soon as ever the Kilblazes' carriage…and…pair came round; to have
  out her own carriage…and…four。
  Well; our box was next to theirs at the Opera; only twice as big。
  Whatever masters went to Lady Juliana; came to my Jemimarann; and
  what do you think Jemmy did? she got her celebrated governess;
  Madame de Flicflac; away from the Countess; by offering a double
  salary。  It was quite a treasure; they said; to have Madame
  Flicflac: she had been (to support her father; the Count; when he
  emigrated) a FRENCH dancer at the ITALIAN Opera。  French dancing;
  and Italian; therefore; we had at once; and in the best style: it
  is astonishing how quick and well she used to speakthe French
  especially。
  Master Arthur MacTurk was at the famous school of the Reverend
  Clement Coddler; along with a hundred and ten other young
  fashionables; from the age of three to fifteen; and to this
  establishment Jemmy sent our Tug; adding forty guineas to the
  hundred and twenty paid every year for the boarders。  I think I
  found out the dear soul's reason; for; one day; speaking about the
  school to a mutual acquaintance of ours and the Kilblazes; she
  whispered to him that 〃she never would have thought of sending her
  darling boy at the rate which her next…door neighbors paid; THEIR
  lad; she was sure; must be starved: however; poor people; they did
  the best they could on their income!〃
  Coddler's; in fact; was the tip…top school near London: he had been
  tutor to the Duke of Buckminster; who had set him up in the school;
  and; as I tell you; all the peerage and respectable commoners came
  to it。  You read in the bill; (the snopsis; I think; Coddler called
  it;) after the account of the charges for board; masters; extras;
  &c。〃Every young nobleman (or gentleman) is expected to