The Yellowplush Papers | Page 8

the play.
They had waited half an hour, he said, in the fly, in the little street at
the left of the theater; they had drove up and down in the greatest fright
possible; and at last came home, thinking it was in vain to wait any
more. They gave her 'ot rum-and-water and roast oysters for supper,
and this consoled her a little.
I hope nobody will cast an imputation on Miss Mary for HER share in
this adventer, for she was as honest a gal as ever lived, and I do believe
is hignorant to this day of our little strattygim. Besides, all's fair in love;
and, as my master could never get to see her alone, on account of her
infernal eleven sisters and ma, he took this opportunity of expressin his
attachment to her.
If he was in love with her before, you may be sure she paid it him back
again now. Ever after the night at Ashley's, they were as tender as two
tuttle-doves--which fully accounts for the axdent what happened to me,
in being kicked out of the room: and in course I bore no mallis.
I don't know whether Miss Betsy still fancied that my master was in
love with her, but she loved muffings and tea, and kem down to his
parlor as much as ever.
Now comes the sing'lar part of my history.
CHAPTER II
.
But who was this genlmn with a fine name--Mr. Frederic Altamont? or
what was he? The most mysterus genlmn that ever I knew. Once I said
to him on a wery rainy day, "Sir, shall I bring the gig down to your
office?" and he gave me one of his black looks and one of his loudest
hoaths, and told me to mind my own bizziness, and attend to my orders.
Another day,--it was on the day when Miss Mary slapped Miss Betsy's
face,--Miss M., who adoared him, as I have said already, kep on asking
him what was his buth, parentidg, and ediccation. "Dear Frederic," says
she, "why this mistry about yourself and your hactions? why hide from
your little Mary"--they were as tender as this, I can tell you--"your buth
and your professin?"
I spose Mr. Frederic looked black, for I was ONLY listening, and he
said, in a voice hagitated by emotion, "Mary," said he, "if you love me,
ask me this no more: let it be sfishnt for you to know that I am a honest

man, and that a secret, what it would be misery for you to larn, must
hang over all my actions--that is from ten o'clock till six."
They went on chaffin and talking in this melumcolly and mysterus way,
and I didn't lose a word of what they said; for them houses in
Pentonwille have only walls made of pasteboard, and you hear rayther
better outside the room than in. But, though he kep up his secret, he
swore to her his affektion this day pint blank. Nothing should prevent
him, he said, from leading her to the halter, from makin her his
adoarable wife. After this was a slight silence. "Dearest Frederic,"
mummered out miss, speakin as if she was chokin, "I am yours--yours
for ever." And then silence agen, and one or two smax, as if there was
kissin going on. Here I thought it best to give a rattle at the door-lock;
for, as I live, there was old Mrs. Shum a-walkin down the stairs!
It appears that one of the younger gals, a-looking out of the bed- rum
window, had seen my master come in, and coming down to tea half an
hour afterwards, said so in a cussary way. Old Mrs. Shum, who was a
dragon of vertyou, cam bustling down the stairs, panting and frowning,
as fat and as fierce as a old sow at feedin time.
"Where's the lodger, fellow?" says she to me.
I spoke loud enough to be heard down the street--"If you mean, ma'am,
my master, Mr. Frederic Altamont, esquire, he's just stept in, and is
puttin on clean shoes in his bedroom."
She said nothink in answer, but flumps past me, and opening the
parlor-door, sees master looking very queer, and Miss Mary a-
drooping down her head like a pale lily.
"Did you come into my famly," says she, "to corrupt my daughters, and
to destroy the hinnocence of that infamous gal? Did you come here, sir,
as a seducer, or only as a lodger? Speak, sir, speak!"-- and she folded
her arms quite fierce, and looked like Mrs. Siddums in the Tragic
Mews.
"I came here, Mrs. Shum," said he, "because I loved your daughter, or I
never would have condescended to live in such a beggarly hole. I have
treated her in