Page:Horrid Mysteries Volume 3.djvu/73

 Marchioness, because he would have been obliged to climb over all the other seats.

"There was only one lady in our company, who, however, had almost spoiled the whole sport. For when she saw the poor Chevalier climbing over the pews, and heard him groan in a most rueful accent, she broke out into an immoderate laughter, and endeavouring to stifle it, rendered it only more hideous. I had placed myself near the organ; and being at a loss how to remedy the fault she had committed, accompanied her with a still more disharmonious passage on the instrument. This produced an effect which surpassed my most sanguine expectation, as but little wind was in the bellows, and I never was an adept in music.

"The poor Chevalier was almost petrified. He sat down in a pew, and awaited, in a kind of stupefaction, the things that were to come. I am sure he would have cared neither for the fan nor for his reputation, if he had had the least hope of getting