Well, the nex day came: at 12 the carridge-and-four was waiting at the ambasdor"s doar; and Miss Griffin and the faithfle Kicksey were punctial to the apintment.
I don"t wish to digscribe the marridge seminary--how the embasy chapling jined the hands of this loving young couple--how one of the embasy footmin was called in to witness the marridge--how Miss wep and fainted as usial--and how Deuceace carried her, fainting, to the brisky, and drove off to Fontingblo, where they were to pa.s.s the fust weak of the honey-moon. They took no servnts, because they wisht, they said, to be privit. And so, when I had shut up the steps, and bid the postilion drive on, I bid ajew to the Honrabble Algernon, and went off strait to his exlent father.
"Is it all over, Chawls?" said he.
"I saw them turned off at igsactly a quarter past 12, my lord," says I.
"Did you give Miss Griffin the paper, as I told you, before her marriage?"
"I did, my lord, in the presents of Mr. Brown, Lord Bobtail"s man; who can swear to her having had it."
I must tell you that my lord had made me read a paper which Lady Griffin had written, and which I was comishnd to give in the manner menshnd abuff. It ran to this effect:--
"According to the authority given me by the will of my late dear husband, I forbid the marriage of Miss Griffin with the Honorable Algernon Percy Deuceace. If Miss Griffin persists in the union, I warn her that she must abide by the consequences of her act.
"LEONORA EMILIA GRIFFIN."
"RUE DE RIVOLI, May 8, 1818."
When I gave this to Miss as she entered the cortyard, a minnit before my master"s arrivle, she only read it contemptiously, and said, "I laugh at the threats of Lady Griffin;" and she toar the paper in two, and walked on, leaning on the arm of the faithful and obleaging Miss Kicksey.
I picked up the paper for fear of axdents, and brot it to my lord.
Not that there was any necessaty; for he"d kep a copy, and made me and another witniss (my Lady Griffin"s solissator) read them both, before he sent either away.
"Good!" says he; and he projuiced from his potfolio the fello of that bewchus fifty-pun note, which he"d given me yesterday. "I keep my promise, you see, Charles," says he. "You are now in Lady Griffin"s service, in the place of Mr. Fitzclarence, who retires. Go to Froje"s, and get a livery."
"But, my lord," says I, "I was not to go into Lady Griffnses service, according to the bargain, but into--"
"It"s all the same thing," says he; and he walked off. I went to Mr.
Froje"s, and ordered a new livry; and found, likwise, that our coachmin and Munseer Mortimer had been there too. My lady"s livery was changed, and was now of the same color as my old coat at Mr. Deuceace"s; and I"m blest if there wasn"t a tremenjious great earl"s corronit on the butins, instid of the Griffin rampint, which was worn befoar.
I asked no questions, however, but had myself measured; and slep that night at the Plas Vandome. I didn"t go out with the carridge for a day or two, though; my lady only taking one footmin, she said, until HER NEW CARRIDGE was turned out.
I think you can guess what"s in the wind NOW!
I bot myself a dressing-case, a box of Ody colong, a few duzen lawn sherts and neckcloths, and other things which were necessary for a genlmn in my rank. Silk stockings was provided by the rules of the house. And I completed the bisniss by writing the follying ginteel letter to my late master:--
"CHARLES YELLOWPLUSH, ESQUIRE, TO THE HONORABLE A. P. DEUCEACE.
"SUR,--Suckmstansies have acurd sins I last had the honner of wating on you, which render it impossbil that I should remane any longer in your suvvice. I"ll thank you to leave out my thinx, when they come home on Sattady from the wash.
"Your obeajnt servnt,
"CHARLES YELLOWPLUSH."
"PLAS VENDOME."
The athography of the abuv noat, I confess, is atrocious; but ke voolyvoo? I was only eighteen, and hadn then the expearance in writing which I"ve enjide sins.
Having thus done my jewty in evry way, I shall prosead, in the nex chapter, to say what hapnd in my new place.
CHAPTER X.
THE HONEY-MOON.
The weak at Fontingblow past quickly away; and at the end of it, our son and daughter-in-law--a pare of nice young tuttle-duvs--returned to their nest, at the Hotel Mirabew. I suspeck that the c.o.c.k turtle-dove was preshos sick of his barging.
When they arriv"d, the fust thing they found on their table was a large parsle wrapt up in silver paper, and a newspaper, and a couple of cards, tied up with a peace of white ribbing. In the parsle was a hansume piece of plum-cake, with a deal of sugar. On the cards was wrote, in Goffick characters,
Earl of Crabs.
And, in very small Italian,
Countess of Crabs.
And in the paper was the following parrowgraff:--
"MARRIAGE IN HIGH LIFE.--Yesterday, at the British emba.s.sy, the Right Honorable John Augustus Altamont Plantagenet, Earl of Crabs, to Leonora Emilia, widow of the late Lieutenant-General Sir George Griffin, K. C.
B. An elegant dejeune was given to the happy couple by his Excellency Lord Bobtail, who gave away the bride. The elite of the foreign diplomacy, the Prince Talleyrand and Marshal the Duke of Dalmatia on behalf of H. M. the King of France, honored the banquet and the marriage ceremony. Lord and Lady Crabs intend pa.s.sing a few weeks at Saint Cloud."
The above dockyments, along with my own triffling billy, of which I have also givn a copy, greated Mr. and Mrs. Deuceace on their arrivle from Fontingblo. Not being present, I can"t say what Deuceace said; but I can fancy how he LOOKT, and how poor Mrs. Deuceace lookt. They weren"t much inclined to rest after the fiteeg of the junny; for, in 1/2 an hour after their arrival at Paris, the hosses were put to the carridge agen, and down they came thundering to our country-house at St. Cloud (p.r.o.nounst by those absud Frenchmin Sing Kloo), to interrup our chaste loves and delishs marridge injyments.
My lord was sittn in a crimson satan dressing-gown, lolling on a sofa at an open windy, smoaking seagars, as ushle; her ladyship, who, to du her justice, didn mind the smell, occupied another end of the room, and was working, in wusted, a pare of slippers, or an umbrellore case, or a coal-skittle, or some such nonsints. You would have thought to have sean "em that they had been married a sentry, at least. Well, I bust in upon this conjugal tator-tator, and said, very much alarmed, "My lord, here"s your son and daughter-in-law."
"Well," says my lord, quite calm, "and what then?"
"Mr. Deuceace!" says my lady, starting up, and looking fritened.
"Yes, my love, my son; but you need not be alarmed. Pray, Charles, say that Lady Crabs and I will be very happy to see Mr. and Mrs. Deuceace; and that they must excuse us receiving them en famille. Sit still, my blessing--take things coolly. Have you got the box with the papers?"
My lady pointed to a great green box--the same from which she had taken the papers, when Deuceace fust saw them,--and handed over to my lord a fine gold key. I went out, met Deuceace and his wife on the stepps, gave my messinge, and bowed them palitely in.
My lord didn"t rise, but smoaked away as usual (praps a little quicker, but I can"t say); my lady sat upright, looking handsum and strong.
Deuceace walked in, his left arm tied to his breast, his wife and hat on the other. He looked very pale and frightened; his wife, poar thing! had her head berried in her handkerchief, and sobd fit to break her heart.