èven in the opinion of my wife, whò wás a connoisseur, wás éxcellent. It is true, hís mánner of télling stòries wás nól quite sò well. They wère véry lóng ánd véry dúll, ánd àl. about himself, and wè hád laughed át thém tén times before; bowéver, wè wère kind enough tó làugh át thém ónce mòre. Mr. Burchell, whò wás óf the party, wás àlways fond seeing some ínnocent amùsement going forward, and set the boys and girls to blìndman's búff. My wife tòo wás persuàded tó jòin ín the divérsion, ánd ít gàve mè pléasure to think shè wás nót yét tòo òld. Ín the mean time, my neighbour and Ì looked on, laughed át évery feat, and pràised òur òwn dexterity when we were young. Hót-cóckles 3) succèeded next, questions ánd commands followed thát, ánd, làst óf àll, they sát dówn tó húnt the slipper. As évery pérson mày nót bè acquainted with thís primèval pástime, ít mày bè nécessary tó obsérve, that the company, in this play, plànt themselves ín a ríng upón the ground, àll excépt óne, whò stands in the middle, whòse búsiness ít ís tó cátch a shòe, which the cómpany shóve about under thèir háms fróm óne tó another, sómething like a weaver's shuttle. Ás it is impossible, in this case, for the lady whò ís úp tó face àll the company át ónce, the great beauty of the plày lìes ín hítting hér a thúmp with the hèel of the shoe on that side lèast capable of making defénce. Ít wás ín this mánner that mỳ éldest daughter wás hémmed ín and thumped abòut, àll blówzed, ín spírits, and bàwling fór fair play, with a vòice that might déafen a bállad-sínger, whén, confùsion ón confùsion, whò should enter the room bút òur twò great acquaintances fróm tówn, Làdy Blárney and Miss Carolina Wilelmina Amèlia Skeggs! Descríption would bút béggar, thèrefore it is unnécessary to describe, thís nèw mortification. Death to bè sèen bỳ làdies of such high breeding ín súch vúlgar áttitudes! Nóthing better could ensùe fróm súch a vúlgar plày óf Mr. Flámborough's propòsing. Wè sèemed struck to the gròund fór sóme tìme, ás if áctually pétrified with amazement.

The two ladies hád béen át òur hòuse tó sèe ús, ánd, finding ús fróm hòme, càme àfter ús híther, as they wère

3) hót-cóckles, s. d. Wörterb.

uneasy to know whát áccident cóuld háve képt ús fróm chúrch the day before. Olívia undertook tó bè òur prolocùtor, ánd delivered the whòle ín a súmmary wày, only saying:,,Wè were thrown fróm òur hórses." Át which account the làdies wère greatly concérned; bút bèing tòld the family recèived nò húrt, they wère extremely glád; bút bèing informed that wè wère àlmost killed by the fright, they wère vástly sorry; bút hearing that wè hád a véry good night, they were extremely glád agáin. Nóthing could exceed their complaisance tó mỳ daughters; their proféssions the last èvening wère wàrm, bút nów they wère àrdent. They protésted a desire of mòre làsting acquaintance. Lady Blárney wás partícularly attached tó Olívia; Miss Carolina Wilelmina Amèlia Skéggs (Ì lóve tó give the whole name) took a greàter fancy tó hér síster. Thèy supported the conversation between themselves, while mỳ dàughters sát sìlent, admiring their exàlted brèeding. Bút ás évery rèader, however béggarly himself, ís fónd óf high-lived dialogues, with anecdotes óf lòrds 4), làdies 5), ánd knights of the gàrter ), Ì múst bég leave to give hím the conclùding pàrt of the présent conver sation.

,,All that I know of the matter," cried Miss Skéggs,,,1s thís, thát ít mày bè trùe, ór ít mày nót bè trùe; bút this i cán assure your ladyship, thát the whòle rout ") wás in amaze;

4) lord, Lord. Dies ist ein Titel des hohen Adels (der nobility), der Herzöge, Marquis, Grafen, Earls, Viscounts und Barone. Sie alle sind Peers des Reichs und haben Sitz und Stimme im Oberhause des Parlaments, welches Recht jedoch der schottische und irländische Adel nur durch Deputationen ausübt. Auch die Erzbischöfe und Bischöfe haben für ihre Person den Rang und die Rechte des hohen Adels. Dem Könige steht das Recht zu, die Zahl der Lords beliebig zu vermehren. Im Jahre 1820 gab es deren 363, worunter 28 Geistliche.

5) lady, Titel der Gemahlin eines Lords, Baronets oder Ritters. 6) knight of the garter, s. knight im Wörterb.

7) rout, Gesellschaft, zu der man sich nach Mitternacht versammelt und bis zum hellen Tage zusammen bleibt. Mehrere hundert Personen einzuladen, ohne Rücksicht auf die Beschränktheit der Zimmer (in London sind bekanntlich fast alle Privatwohnungen sehr enge), ist Mode. Man räumt dann alle Stuben, und drängt die Geräthschaften in das engste Lokal zusammen. Darin besonders, sagt Bornemann, liegt der Triumph einer rout, wenn jeder Winkel im Hause von Gästen vollgepfropft ist, und es den Kommenden stundenlang unmöglich wird, einzudringen, um der Dame vom Hause einige schöne Worte zu sagen. Vgl. Niemeyer, a. a. O. II, 27., Simond's A Day in London" im Neuen Engl. Lesebuche v. Hundeiker S. 452, und Briefe eines Verstorbenen a. m. 0.

hís lòrdship túrned àll mánner óf colours, mỳ làdy féll ínto a swòon; bút Sír Tómkyn, drawing his sword, swòre bè wás hérs to the last dróp óf hís blood.“

,,Wéll,“ replied our pèeress,,this İ cán sày, thát the dúchess néver tòld mè a syllable óf the matter, and I believe hér gràce would keep nóthing a sècret fróm mè. This you mày depénd ón ás a fáct, thát the néxt morning mỳ lòrd 8) dùke cried out three times tó hís valet-de-chambre, Jérnigan! Jérnigan ! Jérnigan! bring mè mỳ gàrters.

Bút previously Ì should have méntioned the very impolite behaviour of Mr. Burchell, whò, dùring this discourse sát with his fàce túrned to the fire, and at the conclusion óf é cry séntence, would crỳ òut Fúdge! án expréssion which displeased ús àll, ánd ín sóme méasure damped the rising spírit óf the conversation.

,,Besides, my dear Skéggs," contínued òur pèeress,,,thère is nothing of thís ín the cópy óf vérses that Dr. Búrdock made upón the occasion.“ Fudge!

,,Ì ám surprised át thát," cried Miss Skeggs; „fór hè séldom leaves ány thing òut, ás hè writes ònly fór his òwn amusement. Bút cán your làdyship favour mè with a sight of thém?" Fudge!

,,My dear creature," replied òur pèeress,,,dò you think Ì cárry such things about mè? Though they are véry fìne, tó bè sùre, and I think myself sómething of a júdge; át least i know what pleases myself. Indeed, I wás éver án admirer of àll Dr. Burdock's little pièces; fór, except whát hè dóes, ánd òur dèar countess át Hánnover-squàre "), thère's nothing comes out but the mòst lòwest stúff in nature nót a bít óf high life among them." Fúdge!

,,Your ladyship should excépt," says t'óther,,,yòur òwn things in the Lady's Magazine. I hope you'll say there's nóthing low-lived there? Bút Ì suppòse wè àre tó háve nò mòre from thát quàrter? Fudge!

8) my lòrd, spr. my lahrd; ebenso my lùdy, my lehdy.

9) Square. Ein grosser und schöner viereckiger Platz in London, von prächtigen Gebäuden umgeben. Er hat in der Mitte einen von einem eiser nen Gitter eingeschlossenen Rasenplatz.

Why my dear," says the lady,,,you know my reader and companion hás léft mè tó bè márried tó Cáptain Ròach, and ás my poor eyes wòn't suffer mè tó write myself, Ì háve béen fór some time looking out for another. A próper person ís nò èasy mátter tó find, and tó bè sùre thírty pòunds a-yèar ís a small stipend for a well-bréd gírl óf character 1o), thát cán rèad, write, and behave in cómpany; ás fór the chíts about town, thère ís nò beàring thém abòut one." Fúdge!

„Thát Ì knòw,“ cried Miss Skeggs,,,bỳ expèrience; fór of the three compánions Ì hád this last hàlf-year, óne of thém refused tó dò plàin work án hour in the dày; anóther thought twenty-five guíneas a-yèar tòo smàll a sálary; ánd Ì wás obliged tó send away the third, because Ì suspected án intrigue with the chaplain. Vírtue, mỳ dèar Làdy Blárney, vírtue is worth ány price; bút whère is thát tó bè found?" Fudge!

My wife hád béen fór a lóng tìme àll attention to this discourse, bút wás partícularly struck with the latter part of it. Thirty pounds and twenty-five guíneas a-year màde fiftysix pounds, five shillings, Énglish money; àll which wás, ín a mánner, going a bégging, and might easily bè secùred in the family. She fór a mòment stúdied my looks fór approbàtion; ánd, tó òwn a truth, Ì wás óf opinion, thát twò súch plàces would fit our twò daughters exactly. Besides, íf the Squire hád ány real afféction fór mỳ éldest daughter, this would bè the way to make hér évery wày quálified fór hér fòrtune. Mỳ wife, therefore, wás resólved that we should not bè deprived of such advantages fór wánt of assùrance, and undertook tó harángue for the family. „,Ì hòpe," crìed shè,,,yòur ladyships will pardon my présent presúmption. It is true, we have no right tó preténd tó súch fàvours, bút yét ít ís nàtural fór mè tó wish putting my children fórward in the world. Ánd Ì will bè bòld tó sày, mỳ twò girls háve hád a prétty good education ánd capacity; át least the country cán't shèw bétter. They cán rèad, write, and cast accounts; they understand their

10) character. ,,Sein Character" heisst im Englischen, wo der Schein mehr gilt als irgendwo, höchst characteristisch, nicht das Ergebniss seiner geistigen und moralischen Eigenschaften, sondern sein Ruf, was man von ihm erzählt. Briefe eines Verstorb. I. Th. p. 164.

needle, bròadstitch, cróssaánd-chànge, ánd àll manner of plàin work; thèy cán pínk, pòint, ánd tríll ); ánd knòw something of music; they cán dò úp small clothes, and work upón cátgut; mỳ éldest cán cút paper, ánd my youngest hás a véry prétty mánner of télling fortunes upon the càrds." Fúdge!

When she had delivered this prétty pièce óf éloquence, the twò làdies looked át each other a few minutes in silence, with án àir óf doubt and importance. Át last Miss Carolina Wilelmina Amèlia Skéggs condescended tó obsérve,,,thát the young ladies, from the opinion shè cóuld form of thém fróm sò slìght án acquaintance, sèemed véry fit fór súch employment; bút a thíng óf thís kind, mádam, cried shè, addréssing my spouse,,,requires a thorough examination into characters, ánd a mòre pérfect knowledge of each other. Nót, mádam, contínued shè,,,thát Ì ín the least suspéct the yoúng làdies' vírtue, prùdence, and discrétion; bút thère is a form in thèse things, mádam, thère is a fòrm." Fúdge!

66

66

My wife approved hér suspicions véry múch, obsérving, that she wás véry ápt tó bè suspicious herself; bút reférred hér tó àll the neighbours fór a character: bút thís òur pèeress declined, ás unnécessary, alléging thát hér coúsin Thornhill's recommendation would bè sufficient; and upón this wè réstea òur petition.

СНАРТER XII.

Fortune seems resolved tó húmble the family of Wakefield mortifications are often more painful than real calamities.

WHEN wè wère retúrned hòme, the night was dedicated tó schèmes óf fùture cónquest. Déborah exérted múch sagácity in

11) broadstitch-frill. Es ist schwer, eine wörtliche Uebersetzung aller dieser Kunstausdrücke für weibliche Arbeiten zu geben. Man kann etwa sagen sie verstehen sich auf ihre Nadel, können den Plattstich, Kreuzund Springstich, und alle Arten von weiss oder fein Nähen; sie können sticken, merken (zeichnen) und Filetmachen, und verstehen etwas von der Musik; sie können Wäsche plätten und brodiren (eine besondere Art zu sticken, die ehemals Mode war).