FullReads

MRS. PRIOR.–Thank you, Mary! You are so very kind! Oh, what delicious tea!

GEORGY.–I say, Mrs. Prior, I dare say you would like to dine best, wouldn’t you?

MRS. P.–Bless you, my darling love, I had my dinner at one o’clock with my children at home.

GEORGY.–So had we: but we go in to dessert very often; and then don’t we have cakes and oranges and candied-peel and macaroons and things! We are not to go in to-day; because Bella ate so many strawberries she made herself ill.

BELLA.–So did you.

GEORGY.–I’m a man, and men eat more than women, twice as much as women. When I’m a man I’ll eat as much cake as ever I like. I say, Mary, give us the marmalade.

MRS. P.–Oh, what nice marmalade! I know of some poor children–

MISS P.–Mamma! don’t, mamma [in an imploring tone].

MRS. P.–I know of two poor children at home, who have very seldom nice marmalade and cake, young people.

GEORGE.–You mean Adolphus and Frederick and Amelia, your children. Well, they shall have marmalade and cake.

BELLA.–Oh, yes! I’ll give them mine.

MRS. P.–Darling, dearest child!

GEORGE [his mouth full].–I won’t give ’em mine: but they can have another pot, you know. You have always got a basket with you, Mrs. Prior. I know you have. You had it that day you took the cold fowl.

MRS. P.–For the poor blind black man! oh, how thankful he was!

GEORGE.–I don’t know whether it was for a black man. Mary, get us another pot of marmalade.

MARY.–I don’t know, Master George.

GEORGE.–I WILL have another pot of marmalade. If you don’t, I’ll–I’ll smash everything–I will.

BELLA.–Oh, you naughty, rude boy!

GEORGE.–Hold YOUR tongue! I WILL have it. Mary shall go and get it.

MRS. P.–Do humor him, Mary; and I’m sure my poor children at home will be the better for it.

GEORGE.–There’s your basket! now put this cake in, and this pat of butter, and this sugar. Hurray, hurray! Oh, what jolly fun! Tell Adolphus and Amelia I sent it to them–tell ’em they shall never want for anything as long as George Kicklebury Milliken, Esq., can give it ’em. Did Adolphus like my gray coat that I didn’t want?

MISS P.–You did not give him your new gray coat?

GEORGE.–Don’t you speak to me; I’m going to school–I’m not going to have no more governesses soon.

MRS. P.–Oh, my dear Master George, what a nice coat it is, and how well my poor boy looked in it!

MISS P.–Don’t, mamma! I pray and entreat you not to take the things!

Enter JOHN from dining-room with a tray.

JOHN.–Some cream, some jelly, a little champagne, Miss Prior; I thought you might like some.

GEORGE.–Oh, jolly! give us hold of the jelly! give us a glass of champagne.

JOHN.–I will not give you any.

GEORGE.–I’ll smash every glass in the room if you don’t; I’ll cut my fingers; I’ll poison myself–there! I’ll eat all this sealing-wax if you don’t, and it’s rank poison, you know it is.

MRS. P.–My dear Master George! [Exit JOHN.]

GEORGE.–Ha, ha! I knew you’d give it me; another boy taught me that.

BELLA.–And a very naughty, rude boy.

GEORGE.–He, he, he! hold your tongue Miss! And said he always got wine so; and so I used to do it to my poor mamma, Mrs. Prior. Usedn’t to like mamma much.

BELLA.–Oh, you wicked boy!

GEORGY.–She usedn’t to see us much. She used to say I tried her nerves: what’s nerves, Mrs. Prior? Give us some more champagne! Will have it. Ha, ha, ha! ain’t it jolly? Now I’ll go out and have a run in the garden. [Runs into garden].

MRS. P.–And you, my dear?

BELLA.–I shall go and resume the perusal of the “Pilgrim’s Progress,” which my grandpapa, Mr. Bonnington, sent me. [Exit ARABELLA.]

MISS P.–How those children are spoilt! Goodness; what can I do? If I correct one, he flies to grandmamma Kicklebury; if I speak to another, she appeals to grandmamma Bonnington. When I was alone with them, I had them in something like order. Now, between the one grandmother and the other, the children are going to ruin, and so would the house too, but that Howell–that odd, rude, but honest and intelligent creature, I must say–keeps it up. It is wonderful how a person in his rank of life should have instructed himself so. He really knows–I really think he knows more than I do myself.