burlesques-第12部分

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LORDS　AND　LIVERIES。



BY　THE　AUTHORESS　OF　〃DUKES　AND　DEJEUNERS；〃　〃HEARTS　AND　DIAMONDS；〃

〃MARCHIONESSES　AND　MILLINERS；〃　ETC。　ETC。





I。





〃CORBLEU！　　What　a　lovely　creature　that　was　in　the　Fitzbattleaxe　box

to…night；〃　said　one　of　a　group　of　young　dandies　who　were　leaning

over　the　velvet…cushioned　balconies　of　the　〃Coventry　Club；〃　smoking

their　full…flavored　Cubas　（from　Hudson's）　after　the　opera。



Everybody　stared　at　such　an　exclamation　of　enthusiasm　from　the　lips

of　the　young　Earl　of　Bagnigge；　who　was　never　heard　to　admire

anything　except　a　coulis　de　dindonneau　a　la　St。　Menehould；　or　a

supreme　de　cochon　en　torticolis　a　la　Piffarde；　such　as　Champollion；

the　chef　of　the　〃Traveller's；〃　only　knows　how　to　dress；　or　the

bouquet　of　a　flask　of　Medoc；　of　Carbonell's　best　quality；　or　a

goutte　of　Marasquin；　from　the　cellars　of　Briggs　and　Hobson。



Alured　de　Pentonville；　eighteenth　Earl　of　Bagnigge；　Viscount　Paon

of　Islington；　Baron　Pancras；　Kingscross；　and　a　Baronet；　was；　like

too　many　of　our　young　men　of　ton；　utterly　blase；　although　only　in

his　twenty…fourth　year。　　Blest；　luckily；　with　a　mother　of　excellent

principles　（who　had　imbued　his　young　mind　with　that　Morality　which

is　so　superior　to　all　the　vain　pomps　of　the　world！）　it　had　not　been

always　the　young　earl's　lot　to　wear　the　coronet　for　which　he　now　in

sooth　cared　so　little。　　His　father；　a　captain　of　Britain's　navy；

struck　down　by　the　side　of　the　gallant　Collingwood　in　the　Bay　of

Fundy；　left　little　but　his　sword　and　spotless　name　to　his　young；

lovely；　and　inconsolable　widow；　who　passed　the　first　years　of　her

mourning　in　educating　her　child　in　an　elegant　though　small　cottage

in　one　of　the　romantic　marine　villages　of　beautiful　Devonshire。

Her　child！　　What　a　gush　of　consolation　filled　the　widow's　heart　as

she　pressed　him　to　it！　　How　faithfully　did　she　instil　into　his

young　bosom　those　principles　which　had　been　the　pole…star　of　the

existence　of　his　gallant　father！



In　this　secluded　retreat；　rank　and　wealth　almost　boundless　found

the　widow　and　her　boy。　　The　seventeenth　Earlgallant　and　ardent；

and　in　the　prime　of　youthwent　forth　one　day　from　the　Eternal　City

to　a　steeple…chase　in　the　Campagna。　　A　mutilated　corpse　was　brought

back　to　his　hotel　in　the　Piazza　di　Spagna。　　Death；　alas！　is　no

respecter　of　the　Nobility。　　That　shattered　form　was　all　that

remained　of　the　fiery；　the　haughty；　the　wild；　but　the　generous

Altamont　de　Pentonville！　　Such；　such　is　fate！



The　admirable　Emily　de　Pentonville　trembled　with　all　a　mother's

solicitude　at　the　distinctions　and　honors　which　thus　suddenly

descended　on　her　boy。　　She　engaged　an　excellent　clergyman　of　the

Church　of　England　to　superintend　his　studies；　to　accompany　him　on

foreign　travel　when　the　proper　season　arrived；　to　ward　from　him

those　dangers　which　dissipation　always　throws　in　the　way　of　the

noble；　the　idle；　and　the　wealthy。　　But　the　Reverend　Cyril　Delaval

died　of　the　measles　at　Naples；　and　henceforth　the　young　Earl　of

Bagnigge　was　without　a　guardian。



What　was　the　consequence？　　That；　at　three…and…twenty；　he　was　a

cynic　and　an　epicure。　　He　had　drained　the　cup　of　pleasure　till　it

had　palled　in　his　unnerved　hand。　　He　had　looked　at　the　Pyramids

without　awe；　at　the　Alps　without　reverence。　　He　was　unmoved　by　the

sandy　solitudes　of　the　Desert　as　by　the　placid　depths　of

Mediterranean's　sea　of　blue。　　Bitter；　bitter　tears　did　Emily　de

Pentonville　weep；　when；　on　Alured's　return　from　the　Continent；　she

beheld　the　awful　change　that　dissipation　had　wrought　in　her

beautiful；　her　blue…eyed；　her　perverted；　her　still　beloved　boy！



〃Corpo　di　Bacco；〃　he　said；　pitching　the　end　of　his　cigar　on　to　the

red　nose　of　the　Countess　of　Delawaddymore's　coachmanwho；　having

deposited　her　fat　ladyship　at　No。　236　Piccadilly；　was　driving　the

carriage　to　the　stables；　before　commencing　his　evening　at　the

〃Fortune　of　War〃　public…house〃what　a　lovely　creature　that　was！

What　eyes！　what　hair！　　Who　knows　her？　　Do　you；　mon　cher　prince？〃



〃E　bellissima；　certamente；〃　said　the　Duca　de　Montepulciano；　and

stroked　down　his　jetty　moustache。



〃Ein　gar　schones　Madchen；〃　said　the　Hereditary　Grand　Duke　of

Eulenschreckenstein；　and　turned　up　his　carroty　one。



〃Elle　n'est　pas　mal；　ma　foi！〃　said　the　Prince　de　Borodino；　with　a

scowl　on　his　darkling　brows。　　〃Mon　Dieu；　que　ces　cigarres　sont

mauvais！〃　he　added　as　he　too　cast　away　his　Cuba。



〃Try　one　of　my　Pickwicks；〃　said　Franklin　Fox；　with　a　sneer；

offering　his　gold　etui　to　the　young　Frenchman；　〃they　are　some　of

Pontet's　best；　Prince。　　What；　do　you　bear　malice？　　Come；　let　us　be

friends；〃　said　the　gay　and　careless　young　patrician；　but　a　scowl　on

the　part　of　the　Frenchman　was　the　only　reply。



〃Want　to　know　who　she　is？　　Borodino　knows　who　she　is；　Bagnigge；〃

the　wag　went　on。



Everybody　crowded　around　Monsieur　de　Borodino　thus　apostrophized。

The　Marquis　of　Alicompayne；　young　De　Boots　of　the　Lifeguards；　Tom

Protocol　of　the　Foreign　Office；　the　gay　young　Peers；　Farintosh；

Poldoody；　and　the　rest；　and　Bagnigge；　for　a　wonder；　not　less　eager

than　any　one　present。



〃No；　he　will　tell　you　nothing　about　her。　　Don't　you　see　he　has　gone

off　in　a　fury！〃　Franklin　Fox　continued。　　〃He　has　his　reasons；　ce

cher　prince：　he　will　tell　you　nothing；　but　I　will。　　You　know　that　I

am　au　mieux　with　the　dear　old　duchess。〃



〃They　say　Frank　and　she　are　engaged　after　the　duke's　death；〃　cried

Poldoody。



〃I　always　thought　Fwank　was　the　duke's　illicit　gweatgwandson；〃

drawled　out　De　Boots。



〃I　heard　that　he　doctored　her　Blenheim；　and　used　to　bring　her　wigs

from　Paris；〃　cried　that　malicious　Tom　Protocol；　whose　mots　are

known　in　every　diplomatic　salon　from　Petersburg　to　Palermo。



〃Burn　her　wigs　and　hang　her　poodle！〃　said　Bagnigge。　　〃Tell　me　about

this　girl；　Franklin　Fox。〃



〃In　the　first　place；　she　has　five　hundred　thousand　acres；　in　a　ring

fence　in　Norfolk；　a　county　in　Scotland；　a　castle　in　Wales；　a　villa

at　Richmond；　a　corner　house　in　Belgrave　Square；　and　eighty　thousand

a　year　in　the　three…per…cents。〃



〃Apres？〃　said　Bagnigge；　still　yawning。



〃Secondly；　Borodino　lui　fait　la　cour。　　They　are　cousins；　her　mother

was　an　Armagnac　of　the　emigration；　the　old　Marshal；　his　father；

married　another　sister。　　I　believe　he　was　footman　in　the　family；

before　Napoleon　princified　him。〃



〃No；　no；　he　was　second　coachman；〃　Tom　Protocol　good…naturedly

interposed〃a　cavalry　officer；　Frank；　not　an　infantry　man。〃



〃'Faith　you　should　have　seen　his　fury　（the　young　one's；　I　mean）

when　he　found　me　in　the　duchess's　room　this　evening；　tete…a…tete

with　the　heiress；　who　deigned　to　receive　a　bouquet　from　this　hand。〃



〃It　cost　me　three　guineas；〃　poor　Frank　said；　with　a　shrug　and　a

sigh；　〃and　that　Covent　Garden　scoundrel　gives　no　credit：　but　she

took　the　flowers；eh；　Bagnigge？〃



〃And　flung　them　to　Alboni；〃　the　Peer　replied；　with　a　haughty　sneer。

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　Boro