which I etribyouted to the eproaching event. The old porter stared meost uncommon when I kem in--the footman who was to enounce me laft I thought--I was going up stairs--"'Her ladyship's not--not at HOME,' says the man; 'and my lady's hill in bed.'
"'Git lunch,' says I, 'I'll wait till Lady Hangelina returns.'
"At this the feller loox at me for a momint with his cheex blown out like a bladder, and then busts out in a reglar guffau! the porter jined in it, the impident old raskle: and Thomas says, slapping his and on his thy, without the least respect--I say, Huffy, old boy! ISN'T this a good un?'
"'Wadyermean, you infunnle scoundrel,' says I, 'hollaring and laffing at me?'
"'Oh, here's Miss Mary Hann coming up,' says Thomas, 'ask HER'--and indeed there came my little Mary Hann tripping down the stairs--her &s in her pockits; and when she saw me, SHE began to blush and look hod & then to grin too.
"'In the name of Imperence,' says I, rushing on Thomas, and collaring him fit to throttle him--'no raskle of a flunky shall insult ME,' and I sent him staggerin up aginst the porter, and both of 'em into the hall-chair with a flopp--when Mary Hann, jumping down, says, 'O James! O Mr. Plush! read this'--and she pulled out a billy doo.
"I reckanized the and-writing of Hangelina."
"Deseatful Hangelina's billy ran as follows:--"'I had all along hoped that you would have relinquished pretensions which you must have seen were so disagreeable to me;and have spared me the painful necessity of the step which I am compelled to take. For a long time I could not believe my parents were serious in wishing to sacrifice me, but have in vain entreated them to spare me. I cannot undergo the shame and misery of a union with you. To the very last hour I remonstrated in vain, and only now anticipate by a few hours, my departure from a home from which they themselves were about to expel me.
"'When you receive this, I shall be united to the person to whom, as you are aware, my heart was given long ago. My parents are already informed of the step I have taken. And I have my own honor to consult, even before their benefit: they will forgive me, I hope and feel, before long.
"'As for yourself, may I not hope that time will calm your exquisite feelings too? I leave Mary Ann behind me to console you.
She admires you as you deserve to be admired, and with a constancy which I entreat you to try and imitate. Do, my dear Mr. Plush, try--for the sake of your sincere friend and admirer, A.
"'P.S. I leave the wedding-dresses behind for her: the diamonds are beautiful, and will become Mrs. Plush admirably.'
"This was hall!--Confewshn! And there stood the footmen sniggerin, and that hojus Mary Hann half a cryin, half a laffing at me! 'Who has she gone hoff with?' rors I; and Mary Hann (smiling with one hi) just touched the top of one of the Johns' canes who was goin out with the noats to put hoff the brekfst. It was Silvertop then!
"I bust out of the house in a stayt of diamoniacal igsitement!
"The stoary of that ilorpmint I have no art to tell. Here it is from the Morning Tatler newspaper:--"ELOPEMENT IN HIGH LIFE.
"THE ONLY AUTHENTIC ACCOUNT.
"The neighborhood of Berkeley Square, and the whole fashionable world, has been thrown into a state of the most painful excitement by an event which has just placed a noble family in great perplexity and affliction.
"It has long been known among the select nobility and gentry that a marriage was on the tapis between the only daughter of a Noble Earl, and a Gentleman whose rapid fortunes in the railway world have been the theme of general remark. Yesterday's paper, it was supposed, in all human probability would have contained an account of the marriage of James De la Pl-che, Esq., and the Lady Angelina ----, daughter of the Right honorable the Earl of B-re-cres. The preparations for this ceremony were complete: we had the pleasure of inspecting the rich trousseau (prepared by Miss Twiddler, of Pall Mall); the magnificent jewels from the establishment of Messrs. Storr and Mortimer; the elegant marriage cake, which, already cut up and portioned, is, alas! not destined to be eaten by the friends of Mr. De la Pl-che; the superb carriages, and magnificent liveries, which had been provided in a style of the most lavish yet tasteful sumptuosity. The Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of Bullocksmithy had arrived in town to celebrate the nuptials, and is staying at Mivart's. What must have been the feelings of that venerable prelate, what those of the agonized and noble parents of the Lady Angelina--when it was discovered, on the day previous to the wedding, that her Ladyship had fled the paternal mansion! To the venerable Bishop the news of his noble niece's departure might have been fatal: we have it from the waiters of Mivart's that his Lordship was about to indulge in the refreshment of turtle soup when the news was brought to him;immediate apoplexy was apprehended; but Mr. Macann, the celebrated surgeon of Westminster, was luckily passing through Bond Street at the time, and being promptly called in, bled and relieved the exemplary patient. His Lordship will return to the Palace, Bullocksmithy, tomorrow.
"The frantic agonies of the Right Honorable the Earl of Bareacres can be imagined by every paternal heart. Far be it from us to disturb--impossible is it for us to describe their noble sorrow.
