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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 appeared as Queen Elizabeth; and L