Part 43 (1/2)

”Well, then,” continued Violet, ”Albert being a tyrant, Lady Madeleine must be an unhappy, ill-used, persecuted woman, living on black bread and green water, in an unknown dungeon. My part shall be to discover her imprisonment. Sounds of strange music attract my attention to a part of the castle which I have not before frequented. There I shall distinctly hear a female voice chaunting the 'Bridesmaids' Chorus,' with Erard's double pedal accompaniment. By the aid of the confessors of the two families, two drinking, rattling, impertinent, most corrupt, and most amusing friars, to wit, our sainted friends--”

Here both Mr. St. Leger and Mr. St. John bowed low to Miss Fane.

”A most lively personage is Miss Fane,” whispered St. Anthony to his neighbour, Miss Fitzloom, ”great style!”

”Most amusing, delightful girl, great style! rather a display today, I think.”

”Oh, decidedly! and devilish personal too; some people wouldn't like it.

I have no doubt she will say something about you next.”

”Oh, I shall be very surprised, indeed, if she does! It may be very well to you, but Miss Fane must be aware--”

Before this pompous sentence could be finished an incident occurred which prevented Miss Fane from proceeding with her allotment of characters, and rendered unnecessary the threatened indignation of Miss Fitzloom.

Miss Fane, as we mentioned, suddenly ceased speaking; the eyes of all were turned in the direction in which she was gazing as if she had seen a ghost.

”What are you looking up at, Violet?” asked St. George.

”Did not you see anything? did not any of you see anything?”

”None, none!”

”Mr. Grey, surely you must have seen it!”

”I saw nothing.”

”It could not be fancy; impossible. I saw it distinctly. I cannot be in a dream. See there! again, on that topmost branch. It moves!”

Some odd shrill sounds, uttered in the voice of a Pulcinello, attracted the notice of them all; and lo! high in the air, behind a lofty chestnut tree, the figure of a Pulcinello did appear, hopping and vaulting in the unsubstantial air. Now it sent forth another shrill, piercing sound, and now, with both its hands, it patted and complacently stroked its ample paunch; dancing all the time with unremitting activity, and wagging its queer head at the astounded guests.

”Who, what can it be?” cried all. The Misses Fitzloom shrieked, and the Santi seemed quite puzzled.

”Who, what can it be?”

Ere time could be given for any one to hazard a conjecture, the figure had advanced from behind the trees, and had spanned in an instant the festal board, with two enormous stilts, on which they now perceived it was mounted. The Misses Fitzloom shrieked again. The figure imitated their cries in his queer voice, and gradually raising one enormous stilt up into the air, stood only on one support, which was planted behind the lovely Araminta.

”O! inimitable Essper George!” exclaimed Violet Fane.

Here Signor Punch commenced a song, which he executed in the tone peculiar to his character, and in a style which drew applauses from all; and then, with a hop, step, and a jump, he was again behind the chestnut-tree. In a moment he advanced without his stilts towards the table. Here, on the turf, he again commenced his antics; kicking his nose with his right foot, and his hump with his left one; executing splendid somersets, and cutting every species of caper, and never ceasing for a moment from performing all his movements to the inspiring music of his own melodious voice. At last, jumping up very high in the air, he fell as if all his joints were loosened, and the Misses Fitzloom, imagining that his bones were really broken, shrieked again.

But now Essper began the wonderful performance of a dead body possessed by a devil, and in a minute his shattered corpse, apparently without the a.s.sistance of any of its members, began to jump and move about the ground with miraculous rapidity. At length it disappeared behind the chestnut-tree.

”I really think,” said Mr. St. George, ”it is the most agreeable day I ever pa.s.sed in all my life.”

”Decidedly!” said St. Anthony. ”St. John, you remember our party to Paestum with Lady Calabria M'Crater and the Marquis of Agrigentum. It was nothing to this! Nothing! Do you know I thought that rather dull.”

”Yes, too elaborate; too highly finished; nothing of the pittore improvisatore. A party of this kind should be more sketchy in its style; the outline more free, and less detail.”

”Essper is coming out to-day,” said Vivian to Miss Fane, ”after a long, and, I venture to say, painful forbearance. However, I hope you will excuse him. It seems to amuse us.”

”I think it is delightful. See! here he comes again.”