登陆注册
5169600000053

第53章

A VISIT TO SOME COUNTRY SNOBS

We had the fish, which, as the kind reader may remember, I had brought down in a delicate attention to Mrs.Ponto, to variegate the repast of next day; and cod and oyster-sauce, twice laid, salt cod and scolloped oysters, formed parts of the bill of fare until I began to fancy that the Ponto family, like our late revered monarch George II., had a fancy for stale fish.And about this time, the pig being consumed, we began upon a sheep.

But how shall I forget the solemn splendour of a second course, which was served up in great state by Stripes in a silver dish and cove; a napkin round his dirty thumbs;and consisted of a landrail, not much bigger than a corpulent sparrow.

'My love, will you take any game?' says Ponto, with prodigious gravity; and stuck his fork into that little mouthful of an island in the silver sea.Stripes, too, at intervals, dribbled out the Marsala with a solemnity which would have done honour to a Duke's butler.The Bamnecide's dinner to Shacabac was only one degree removed from these solemn banquets.

As there were plenty of pretty country places close by; a comfortable country town, with good houses of gentlefolks; a beautiful old parsonage, close to the church whither we went (and where the Carabas family have their ancestral carved and monumented Gothic pew), and every appearance of good society in the neighbourhood, Irather wondered we were not enlivened by the appearance of some of the neighbours at the Evergreens, and asked about them.

'We can't in our position of life--we can't well associate with the attorney's family, as I leave you to suppose,' says Mrs.Ponto, confidentially.'Of course not,' I answered, though I didn't know why.'And the Doctor?' said I.

'A most excellent worthy creature,' says Mrs.P.saved Maria's life--really a learned man; but what can one do in one's position? One may ask one's medical man to one's table certainly: but his family, my dear Mr.Snob!'

'Half-a-dozen little gallipots,' interposed Miss Wirt, the governess: 'he, he, he!' and the young ladies laughed in chorus.

'We only live with the county families,' Miss Wirt (1)continued, tossing up her head.'The Duke is abroad: we are at feud with the Carabases; the Ringwoods don't come down till Christmas: in fact, nobody's here till the hunting season--positively nobody.'

'Whose is the large red house just outside of the town?'

'What! the CHATEAU-CALICOT? he, he, he! That purse-proud ex-linendraper, Mr.Yardley, with the yellow liveries, and the wife in red velvet? How CAN you, my dear Mr.

Snob, be so satirical? The impertinence of those people is really something quite overwhelming.'

'Well, then, there is the parson, Doctor Chrysostom.

He's a gentleman, at any rate.' At this Mrs.Ponto looked at Miss Wirt.After their eyes had met and they had wagged their heads at each other.They looked up to the ceiling.So did the young ladies.They thrilled.

同类推荐
  • 梦中缘

    梦中缘

    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。
  • 最上大乘金刚大教宝王经

    最上大乘金刚大教宝王经

    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。
  • The Country of the Pointed Firs

    The Country of the Pointed Firs

    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。
  • 水浒古本

    水浒古本

    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。
  • 通书述解

    通书述解

    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
  • 系统让我做大侠

    系统让我做大侠

    得系统,战天下,灭诸敌!这是一个万界无敌的故事。
  • 星空之翼

    星空之翼

    在未来的宇宙纪元,人类基因图的破解进度进入了全新高度,基因工程的产物——从试管期,就接受了基因调整的全新人类。因为一颗能源星球的探掘,在一个平静的夜晚,基因人和自然人的关系,发展成了真正的武力冲突。作为一名精英机师的后代,少年虽然只是海行星上一名普通人类。但是,活在这片星空下,他的心中埋藏的是无尽的大海。--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 洪荒之妖皇逆天

    洪荒之妖皇逆天

    每个人心中都有一个洪荒故事!我的洪荒没有遗憾!无尽世界,仙凡冥灵,一曲守护与大爱的壮阔历程。洪荒种田文,无敌文。套路中创新,同样的人物,不一样的旅程!——————新书《剧情制造者》已经发布,欢迎新老书友斧正。
  • 九十日春光

    九十日春光

    鱼尾而人身者,其名为鲛。他们貌美神秘,泪可凝珠,价值连城。淼淼从未想过有朝一日,能以人类身份踏上湖岸。她无欲无求,只为接近一人。纵然飞蛾扑火,也甘之如饴。我喜欢你,九十日为期。
  • 谋定天下:一品皇妃

    谋定天下:一品皇妃

    国破家亡,她被抓,陷入困局。军妓??她冷然一笑,风华潋滟,傲视天下!牛鬼蛇神?来一个灭一个!她腹黑、狠辣、睚眦必报,但凡欺负她的人,没有一个有好下场!?他是令人闻风丧胆不可小觑的战神,沙场,朝堂都玩弄于骨掌之中,视女人为无物。遇见她,让他失了心,动了情,对她一宠再宠。?她问他:“为什么宠我?”.他答:“因为喜欢。”她抵住他的胸膛,说:“既然如此,就让我掏了你的心,灭了你的国如何?”情网,阴谋,国斗,注定了这一场不死不休的纠葛。谁赢?谁又愿意输?本以为这辈子不会对女人动心,她,是他生命中的意外。?本以为这一世不会再爱,他,却让她沦陷。
  • 曹操:逐鹿天下五十年

    曹操:逐鹿天下五十年

    朝堂之上,大奸大忠者都差不多,唯有曹操大不同!曹操一直是历史上颇有争议的人物。这样一个官宦子弟,却趁着时代之机,于黄巾起义时崭露头角,统一北部中原,成就了不朽的功勋。曹操,一个惯用计谋,权术的人,往往将对手整得焦头烂额,他做事不虚伪,敢作敢为,是一个心怀天下、体恤众生的有情怀的人;同时,曹操也是一个敏感、自卑、内心孤独、猜忌心极重的权臣,也是一个柔情万丈、诗才横溢的普通男人和诗人。
  • 民国之绝代商女

    民国之绝代商女

    【小荷初露锋芒待发】被卖到初家当了小妻?又跨进方家做了丫鬟!这娃纸的命怎么这么苦?她要扛起!崛起!勤奋学起!一把檀木算盘,便是她最强有力的资本,出色的天赋,让她很快便成为方家最年轻,也是唯一的一位女帐薄先生。【烽火动荡十里洋场】一场意外的救助,让她与官场军少结下了不解之缘,安详静谧的生活被彻底打乱。他在官场叱咤,她于商界风云,强强对抗?还是,强强联手?官职的交接,文化的更迭,生意场上的兴衰,令她一天天长大,一天天懂得成长的代价。她是一枚遭亲人嫌弃的棋子?还是一颗闪耀在商界的红顶明星?【名扬四海富可敌国】她,坚持一生不做官,只做商;她,爱财,但从来都是取之有道;她,喜欢把钱散给穷人时的潇洒;她,执着钱生钱,利滚利的痛快!【江南无恨携手一生】爱她有多深,就是苍天捉弄他几分?繁华锦绣,终不是她此生所要,她要的,不过是平淡安定。而他,要的却是天下社稷,垂名青史?他与她,一段缘?一段孽?本文一对一,宠文,偶尔小虐,无伤大雅,短暂的小虐是为了更腻歪的宠爱!
  • 快穿:女王请上坐

    快穿:女王请上坐

    【宿主你在干嘛!】“看不出来?我在杀人啊。”【不是。任务里并没有这个啊!】“哦,没有就没有呗。”【那你别杀了别杀了!哎……别走啊!】我的宿主……特别喜欢自己给自己创造任务怎么办…在线等,挺急的…同是小萌新啊!为什么v662只能跪在角落瑟瑟发抖...我的宿主有点儿狂,自恋霸气还疯狂。
  • 都市 漫游 成长:E.L.多克托罗小说中的“小小都市漫游者”研究(英文版)

    都市 漫游 成长:E.L.多克托罗小说中的“小小都市漫游者”研究(英文版)

    本书以本雅明的“都市漫游者”理论为基础,结合文化地理学、叙事学及文类研究等相关理论,分析“都市漫游”在纽约少年疗治童年创伤、寻找精神家园、探究自我身份以及实现美国梦方面的功用,总结多克托罗都市成长小说的特点,探析作品中所展现的独特的都市美学,发现多克托罗既有犹太作家的族裔担当,又颇具救赎城市的世界主义情怀。而他在侦探小说、自传、成长小说、犯罪小说等文类间自由游走,打破传统文类界限,并运用口语化的语言写作则旨在于当今机械复制的时代复兴传统的“讲故事”的技艺。
  • 倾世狂妃:逆天四小姐