Mrs Lirripers Legacy | Page 8

of two
men carrying him by the legs, similar to the picter of the disgraceful
creetur who has lost the fight (but where the chair I do not know) and
his hair having the appearance of newly played upon. When all four of
a row, the Major rubs his hands and whispers me with what little
hoarseness he can get together, "If our dear remarkable boy was only at
home what a delightful treat this would be for him!"
My dear we made them some hot tea and toast and some hot
brandy-and- water with a little comfortable nutmeg in it, and at first
they were scared and low in their spirits but being fully insured got
sociable. And the first use Mr. Buffle made of his tongue was to call
the Major his Preserver and his best of friends and to say "My for ever
dearest sir let me make you known to Mrs. Buffle" which also
addressed him as her Preserver and her best of friends and was fully as
cordial as the blanket would admit of. Also Miss Buffle. The articled
young gentleman's head was a little light and he sat a moaning "Robina
is reduced to cinders, Robina is reduced to cinders!" Which went more
to the heart on account of his having got wrapped in his blanket as if he
was looking out of a violinceller case, until Mr. Buffle says "Robina
speak to him!" Miss Buffle says "Dear George!" and but for the Major's
pouring down brandy-and-water on the instant which caused a catching
in his throat owing to the nutmeg and a violent fit of coughing it might
have proved too much for his strength. When the articled young

gentleman got the better of it Mr. Buffle leaned up against Mrs. Buffle
being two bundles, a little while in confidence, and then says with tears
in his eyes which the Major noticing wiped, "We have not been an
united family, let us after this danger become so, take her George." The
young gentleman could not put his arm out far to do it, but his spoken
expressions were very beautiful though of a wandering class. And I do
not know that I ever had a much pleasanter meal than the breakfast we
took together after we had all dozed, when Miss Buffle made tea very
sweetly in quite the Roman style as depicted formerly at Covent
Garden Theatre and when the whole family was most agreeable, as they
have ever proved since that night when the Major stood at the foot of
the Fire-Escape and claimed them as they came down--the young
gentleman head-foremost, which accounts. And though I do not say
that we should be less liable to think ill of one another if strictly limited
to blankets, still I do say that we might most of us come to a better
understanding if we kept one another less at a distance.
Why there's Wozenham's lower down on the other side of the street. I
had a feeling of much soreness several years respecting what I must
still ever call Miss Wozenham's systematic underbidding and the
likeness of the house in Bradshaw having far too many windows and a
most umbrageous and outrageous Oak which never yet was seen in
Norfolk Street nor yet a carriage and four at Wozenham's door, which it
would have been far more to Bradshaw's credit to have drawn a cab.
This frame of mind continued bitter down to the very afternoon in
January last when one of my girls, Sally Rairyganoo which I still
suspect of Irish extraction though family represented Cambridge, else
why abscond with a bricklayer of the Limerick persuasion and be
married in pattens not waiting till his black eye was decently got round
with all the company fourteen in number and one horse fighting outside
on the roof of the vehicle,--I repeat my dear my ill- regulated state of
mind towards Miss Wozenham continued down to the very afternoon
of January last past when Sally Rairyganoo came banging (I can use no
milder expression) into my room with a jump which may be Cambridge
and may not, and said "Hurroo Missis! Miss Wozenham's sold up!" My
dear when I had it thrown in my face and conscience that the girl Sally
had reason to think I could be glad of the ruin of a fellow-creeter, I

burst into tears and dropped back in my chair and I says "I am ashamed
of myself!"
Well! I tried to settle to my tea but I could not do it what with thinking
of Miss Wozenham and her distresses. It was a wretched night and I
went up to a front window and looked over at Wozenham's and as well
as I could make it out down