[Burlesques by William Makepeace Thackeray]@TWC D-Link book
Burlesques

CHAPTER IX
5/11

"I adore the devil," said he.
"So do I," said the pale lady, with unwonted animation; and the dish was served straightway.

It was succeeded by black-puddings, tripe, toasted cheese, and--what was most remarkable--every one of the dishes which he desired came from under the same silver cover: which circumstance, when he had partaken of about fourteen different articles, he began to find rather mysterious.
"Oh," said the pale lady, with a smile, "the mystery is easily accounted for: the servants hear you, and the kitchen is BELOW." But this did not account for the manner in which more half-and-half, bitter ale, punch (both gin and rum), and even oil and vinegar, which he took with cucumber to his salmon, came out of the self-same bottle from which the lady had first poured out his pint of half-and-half.
"There are more things in heaven and earth, Voracio," said his arch entertainer, when he put this question to her, "than are dreamt of in your philosophy:" and, sooth to say, the archer was by this time in such a state, that he did not find anything wonderful more.
"Are you happy, dear youth ?" said the lady, as, after his collation, he sank back in his chair.
"Oh, miss, ain't I ?" was his interrogative and yet affirmative reply.
"Should you like such a supper every night, Wolfgang ?" continued the pale one.
"Why, no," said he; "no, not exactly; not EVERY night: SOME nights I should like oysters." "Dear youth," said she, "be but mine, and you may have them all the year round!" The unhappy boy was too far gone to suspect anything, otherwise this extraordinary speech would have told him that he was in suspicious company.

A person who can offer oysters all the year round can live to no good purpose.
"Shall I sing you a song, dear archer ?" said the lady.
"Sweet love!" said he, now much excited, "strike up, and I will join the chorus." She took down her mandolin, and commenced a ditty.

'Twas a sweet and wild one.

It told how a lady of high lineage cast her eyes on a peasant page; it told how nought could her love assuage, her suitor's wealth and her father's rage: it told how the youth did his foes engage; and at length they went off in the Gretna stage, the high-born dame and the peasant page.


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