登陆注册
5169600000014

第14章

Lady Susan is, as everybody knows by referring to the 'British Bible,' a daughter of the great and good Earl Bagwig before mentioned.She thinks everything belonging to her the greatest and best in the world.The first of men naturally are the Buckrams, her own race: then follow in rank the Scrapers.The General was the greatest general: his eldest son, Scraper Buckram Scraper, is at present the greatest and best; his second son the next greatest and best; and herself the paragon of women.

Indeed, she is a most respectable and honourable lady.

She goes to church of course: she would fancy the Church in danger if she did not.She subscribes to Church and parish charities; and is a directress of meritorious charitable institutions--of Queen Charlotte's Lying-in Hospital, the Washerwomen's Asylum, the British Drummers'

Daughters' Home, &c..She is a model of a matron.

The tradesman never lived who could say that he was not paid on the quarter-day.The beggars of her neighbourhood avoid her like a pestilence; for while she walks out, protected by John, that domestic has always two or three mendicity tickets ready for deserving objects.Ten guineas a year will pay all her charities.

There is no respectable lady in all London who gets her name more often printed for such a sum of money.

Those three mutton-chops which you see entering at the kitchen-door will be served on the family-plate at seven o'clock this evening, the huge footman being present, and the butler in black, and the crest and coat-of-arms of the Scrapers blazing everywhere.I pity Miss Emily Scraper--she is still young--young and hungry.Is it a fact that she spends her pocket-money in buns? Malicious tongues say so; but she has very little to spare for buns, the poor little hungry soul! For the fact is, that when the footmen, and the ladies' maids, and the fat coach-horses, which are jobbed, and the six dinner-parties in the season, and the two great solemn evening-parties, and the rent of the big house, and the journey to an English or foreign watering-place for the autumn, are paid, my lady's income has dwindled away to a very small sum, and she is as poor as you or I.

You would not think it when you saw her big carriage rattling up to the drawing-room, and caught a glimpse of her plumes, lappets, and diamonds, waving over her ladyship's sandy hair and majestical hooked nose;--you would not think it when you hear 'Lady Susan Scraper's carriage' bawled out at midnight so as to disturb all Belgravia:--you would not think it when she comes rustling into church, the obsequious John behind with the bag of Prayer-books.Is it possible, you would say, that so grand and awful a personage as that can be hard-up for money? Alas! So it is.

She never heard such a word as Snob, I will engage, in this wicked and vulgar world.And, O stars and garters!

how she would start if she heard that she--she, as solemn as Minerva--she, as chaste as Diana (without that heathen goddess's unladylike propensity for field-sports)--that she too was a Snob!

A Snob she is, as long as she sets that prodigious value upon herself, upon her name, upon her outward appearance, and indulges in that intolerable pomposity; as long as she goes parading abroad, like Solomon in all his glory;as long as she goes to bed--as I believe she does--with a turban and a bird of paradise in it, and a court train to her night-gown; as long as she is so insufferably virtuous and condescending; as long as she does not cut at least one of those footmen down into mutton-chops for the benefit of the young ladies.

I had my notions of her from my old schoolfellow,--her son Sydney Scraper--a Chancery barrister without any practice--the most placid, polite, and genteel of Snobs, who never exceeded his allowance of two hundred a year, and who may be seen any evening at the 'Oxford and Cambridge Club,' simpering over the QUARTERLY REVIEW, in the blameless enjoyment of his half-pint of port.

同类推荐
  • 外科启玄

    外科启玄

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 续灯存稿目录

    续灯存稿目录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 支动

    支动

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 明伦汇编人事典年齿部

    明伦汇编人事典年齿部

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 幼科推拿秘书

    幼科推拿秘书

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 创始之神的我竟被厌弃了

    创始之神的我竟被厌弃了

    身为创始之神的我任务重大,先带着新手们打怪,后又带着他们狂升级。你说我是谁,我就是传说中游戏的创始人,等等,这游戏为什么会出现另一个少女的我,难道是bug了?还有——为什么我会变成反派的样子?!
  • 剑三:逍遥游

    剑三:逍遥游

    第一眼看到他,她就觉得他是有故事的人。静谧的苗疆清晨,有早起的鸟儿在林中嬉戏,震得山中树叶轻晃,洒落一地露珠,宛如下过一场夜雨。而他就躺在这渗人的凉意中,衣摆沾了血气,修长的指节握着不知什么物件,侧脸割开朦胧的雾气,清晰得映入她的心里。只一眼,便记了一辈子。万般执念,不过水月镜花。此去经年,能与谁共饮共醉逍遥?--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 虚构三年

    虚构三年

    那一日,阳光明媚,他当着全班的面向她表白,对所有人宣布他喜欢她,可种种的种种,既然都是假的,他一直在骗她,骗到她喜欢上了他,然后甩了她,可到最后发现自己真的喜欢上了她,可又当如何面对,在突然对她表明心意的兄弟面前和她面前又该何去何从,她是否还会再次相信他的表白或是…
  • 倾城之恋

    倾城之恋

    一道圣旨,将连城和倾城两人连到一起,倾城生性刚烈,不满皇帝指婚,将婚宴搞得一塌糊涂,新婚之夜与新郎打个翻天覆地。她将连城的家弄得乌烟瘴气,还买回一个丫鬟给连城做小老婆。这对欢喜冤家,经历种种磨难,倾城最终明白,原来自己早已心系连城,一场命案让两人明白真情,只可惜连城竟然要被处斩!
  • 海洋天堂

    海洋天堂

    《海洋天堂》是由薛晓路执导,李连杰、文章、桂纶镁、高圆圆、董勇、朱媛媛等主演的亲情电影。该片讲述了一个父亲被确诊患肝癌晚期,生命只剩3—4个月的时间倾尽所有,守护孤独症儿子的感人故事。
  • 肥婆皇后

    肥婆皇后

    “慢着!我是怎么死的?我前几天去过医院,我没有病的啊?”萧清雅往后飘了几步,她还不能死,她的妈妈还在牢里,必须经常去看妈妈才可以啊。“你是没病,不过你的阳寿以尽,走吧!”黑无常上前,不由分说的拉着她一晃,清雅感觉一阵晕乎乎的不断的向前飘去。不知道飘了多久,等停留下来后,清雅张大嘴:“阎王殿!”看着那三个大字,愣愣的念了出来。而她现在就只穿了一件白色的长袍,这感觉是像鬼魂,真的……
  • 幸福也需要奇迹

    幸福也需要奇迹

    当恋爱中的两个人,赤果果的相见,把自己献给对方,你会不会就此爱上她的全部?受过伤的心灵还能愈合吗?是生离死别的悲苦,还是前世孽债,今生亏欠?痛过之后,还有多少勇气再去追求?
  • 阴阳先生

    阴阳先生

    我是个屌丝,美女主管约我修电脑我以为命运女神眷顾我了,好友超子却叫我小心。不久之后超子说他快死了!等我回首时才发现自己已经成为漩涡的中心。为了自保,我不得不学习法术成为一名阴阳先生。神秘的猛鬼!缠身的冥气,天降的神罚。为了活命,我只能一步一步向前!神罚、阴煞之气、野仙、降头、小鬼接踵而至我该如何面对?
  • 在无限的世界之上之临霄篇

    在无限的世界之上之临霄篇

    我就是一个想当普通高中生的可怜孩子而已,为什么,为什么不让我当。——某跨国公司第一打手(划掉)第一股东的内心独白
  • 东风恶

    东风恶

    传闻大燕国五皇子巽王,霸道非常,只消心头一怒,便可取其所有。娇弱白嫩的豆腐西施香香,她坚韧隐忍,如同权贵世界中的无根浮萍。生逢乱世,香香被土匪所掳,逃跑时又被大燕国前来剿匪的官兵捉住。正惊恐欲绝时,巽王命人将她带到自己帐中……