第 98 节
作者:青涩春天      更新:2024-04-09 19:51      字数:9322
  dress have been washed; mended; buttoned; ironed; and mangled in
  the Establishment。  And; by an arrangement with the governors of
  the Foundling; it is hoped that THE BABY…LINEN OF THAT HOSPITAL
  will be confided to the British Washerwoman's Home!
  〃With such prospects before it; is it not sad; is it not lamentable
  to think; that the Patronesses of the Society have been compelled
  to reject the applications of no less than THREE THOUSAND EIGHT
  HUNDRED AND ONE BRITISH WASHERWOMEN; from lack of means for their
  support?  Ladies of England!  Mothers of England! to you we appeal。
  Is there one of you that will not respond to the cry in behalf of
  these deserving members of our sex?
  〃It has been determined by the Ladies…Patronesses to give a fete at
  Beulah Spa; on Thursday; July 25; which will be graced with the
  first foreign and native TALENT; by the first foreign and native
  RANK; and where they beg for the attendance of every WASHERWOMAN'S
  FRIEND。〃
  Her Highness the Princess of Schloppenzollernschwigmaringen; the
  Duke of Sacks…Tubbingen; His Excellency Baron Strumpff; His
  Excellency Lootf…Allee…Koolee…Bismillah…Mohamed…Rusheed…Allah; the
  Persian Ambassador; Prince Futtee…Jaw; Envoy from the King of Oude;
  His Excellency Don Alonzo di Cachachero…y…Fandango…y…Castanete; the
  Spanish Ambassador; Count Ravioli; from Milan; the Envoy of the
  Republic of Topinambo; and a host of other fashionables; promised
  to honor the festival: and their names made a famous show in the
  bills。  Besides these; we had the celebrated band of Moscow…musiks;
  the seventy…seven Transylvanian trumpeters; and the famous Bohemian
  Minnesingers; with all the leading artists of London; Paris; the
  Continent; and the rest of Europe。
  I leave you to fancy what a splendid triumph for the British
  Washerwoman's Home was to come off on that day。  A beautiful tent
  was erected; in which the Ladies…Patronesses were to meet: it was
  hung round with specimens of the skill of the washerwomen's
  orphans; ninety…six of whom were to be feasted in the gardens;
  and waited on by the Ladies…Patronesses。
  Well; Jemmy and my daughter; Madame de Flicflac; myself; the Count;
  Baron Punter; Tug; and Tagrag; all went down in the chariot and
  barouche…and…four; quite eclipsing poor Lady Kilblazes and her
  carriage…and…two。
  There was a fine cold collation; to which the friends of the
  Ladies…Patronesses were admitted; after which; my ladies and their
  beaux went strolling through the walks; Tagrag and the Count having
  each an arm of Jemmy; the Baron giving an arm apiece to Madame and
  Jemimarann。  Whilst they were walking; whom should they light upon
  but poor Orlando Crump; my successor in the perfumery and hair…
  cutting。
  〃Orlando!〃 says Jemimarann; blushing as red as a label; and holding
  out her hand。
  〃Jemimar!〃 says he; holding out his; and turning as white as
  pomatum。
  〃SIR!〃 says Jemmy; as stately as a duchess。
  〃What! madam;〃 says poor Crump; 〃don't you remember your shopboy?〃
  〃Dearest mamma; don't you recollect Orlando?〃 whimpers Jemimarann;
  whose hand he had got hold of。
  〃Miss Tuggeridge Coxe;〃 says Jemmy; 〃I'm surprised of you。
  Remember; sir; that our position is altered; and oblige me by no
  more familiarity。〃
  〃Insolent fellow!〃 says the Baron; 〃vat is dis canaille?〃
  〃Canal yourself; Mounseer;〃 says Orlando; now grown quite furious:
  he broke away; quite indignant; and was soon lost in the crowd。
  Jemimarann; as soon as he was gone; began to look very pale and
  ill; and her mamma; therefore; took her to a tent; where she left
  her along with Madame Flicflac and the Baron; going off herself
  with the other gentlemen; in order to join us。
  It appears they had not been seated very long; when Madame Flicflac
  suddenly sprung up; with an exclamation of joy; and rushed forward
  to a friend whom she saw pass。
  The Baron was left alone with Jemimarann; and; whether it was the
  champagne; or that my dear girl looked more than commonly pretty; I
  don't know; but Madame Flicflac had not been gone a minute; when
  the Baron dropped on his knees; and made her a regular declaration。
  Poor Orlando Crump had found me out by this time; and was standing
  by my side; listening; as melancholy as possible; to the famous
  Bohemian Minnesingers; who were singing the celebrated words of the
  poet Gothy:
  〃Ich bin ya hupp lily lee; du bist ya hupp lily lee。
  Wir sind doch hupp lily lee; hupp la lily lee。〃
  〃ChorusYodle…odle…odle…odle…odle…odle hupp! yodle…odle…aw…o…o…o!〃
  They were standing with their hands in their waistcoats; as usual;
  and had just come to the 〃o…o…o;〃 at the end of the chorus of the
  forty…seventh stanza; when Orlando started: 〃That's a scream!〃 says
  he。  〃Indeed it is;〃 says I; 〃and; but for the fashion of the
  thing; a very ugly scream too:〃 when I heard another shrill 〃Oh!〃
  as I thought; and Orlando bolted off; crying; 〃By heavens; it's HER
  voice!〃  〃Whose voice?〃 says I。  〃Come and see the row;〃 says Tag。
  And off we went; with a considerable number of people; who saw this
  strange move on his part。
  We came to the tent; and there we found my poor Jemimarann
  fainting; her mamma holding a smelling…bottle; the Baron; on the
  ground; holding a handkerchief to his bleeding nose; and Orlando
  squaring at him; and calling on him to fight if he dared。
  My Jemmy looked at Crump very fierce。  〃Take that feller away;〃
  says she; 〃he has insulted a French nobleman; and deserves
  transportation; at the least。〃
  Poor Orlando was carried off。  〃I've no patience with the little
  minx;〃 says Jemmy; giving Jemimarann a pinch。  〃She might be a
  Baron's lady; and she screams out because his Excellency did but
  squeeze her hand。〃
  〃Oh; mamma! mamma!〃 sobs poor Jemimarann; 〃but he was t…t…tipsy。〃
  〃T…t…tipsy! and the more shame for you; you hussy; to be offended
  with a nobleman who does not know what he is doing。〃
  A TOURNAMENT。
  〃I say; Tug;〃 said MacTurk; one day soon after our flareup at
  Beulah; 〃Kilblazes comes of age in October; and then we'll cut you
  out; as I told you: the old barberess will die of spite when she
  hears what we are going to do。  What do you think? we're going to
  have a tournament!〃  〃What's a tournament?〃 says Tug; and so said
  his mamma when she heard the news; and when she knew what a
  tournament was; I think; really; she WAS as angry as MacTurk said
  she would be; and gave us no peace for days together。  〃What!〃 says
  she; 〃dress up in armor; like play…actors; and run at each other
  with spears?  The Kilblazes must be mad!  〃And so I thought; but I
  didn't think the Tuggeridges would be mad too; as they were: for;
  when Jemmy heard that the Kilblazes' festival was to be; as yet; a
  profound secret; what does she do; but send down to the Morning
  Post a flaming account of
  〃THE PASSAGE OF ARMS AT TUGGERIDGEVIILLE!
  〃The days of chivalry are NOT past。  The fair Castellane of
  T…gg…r…dgeville; whose splendid entertainments have so often been
  alluded to in this paper; has determined to give one; which shall
  exceed in splendor even the magnificence of the Middle Ages。  We are
  not at liberty to say more; but a tournament; at which His Ex…l…ncy
  B…r…n de P…nt…r and Thomas T…gr…g; Esq。; eldest son of Sir Ths
  T…gr…g; are to be the knights…defendants against all comers; a QUEEN
  OF BEAUTY; of whose loveliness every frequenter of fashion has felt
  the power; a banquet; unexampled in the annals of Gunter; and a
  ball; in which the recollections of ancient chivalry will blend
  sweetly with the soft tones of Weippert and Collinet; are among the
  entertainments which the Ladye of T…gg…ridgeville has prepared for
  her distinguished guests。〃
  The Baron was the life of the scheme; he longed to be on horseback;
  and in the field at Tuggeridgeville; where he; Tagrag; and a number
  of our friends practised: he was the very best tilter present; he
  vaulted over his horse; and played such wonderful antics; as never
  were done except at Ducrow's。
  And nowoh that I had twenty pages; instead of this short chapter;
  to describe the wonders of the day!Twenty…four knights came from
  Ashley's at two guineas a head。  We were in hopes to have had Miss
  Woolford in the character of Joan of Arc; but that lady did not
  appear。  We had a tent for the challengers; at each side of which
  hung what they called ESCOACHINGS; (like hatchments; which they put
  up when people die;) and underneath sat their pages; holding their
  helmets for the tournament。  Tagrag was in brass armor (my City
  connections got him that famous suit); his Excellency in polished
  steel。  My wife wore a coronet; modelled exactly after that of
  Queen Catharine; in 〃Henry V。;〃 a tight gilt jacket; which set off
  dear Jemmy's figure wonderfully; and a train of at least forty
  feet。  Dear Jemimarann was in white; her hair braided with pearls。
  Madame de Flicflac a