Page:Vanity Fair 1848.djvu/102

 "Mouton aux navets added the Butler gravely, (pronounce, if you please, moutongonavvy); 'and the soup is potage de mouton à l'Écossaise. The side dishes contain pommes de terre au naturel, and chonfleur à l'eau.'

"'Mutton's mutton,' said the Baronet, 'and a devilish good thing. What ship was it, Horrocks, and when did you kill?'

"'One of the black-faced Scotch, Sir Pitt: we killed on Thursday.'

"'Who took any?'

"'Steel, of Mudbury, took the saddle and two legs, Sir Pitt; but he says the last was too young and confounded woolly, Sir Pitt.'

"'Will you take some potage? Miss ah—Miss Blunt,' said Mr. Crawley.

"'Capital Scotch broth, my dear,' said Sir Pitt, 'though they call it by a French name.'

"'I believe it is the custom, sir, in decent society,' said Mr. Crawley, haughtily, 'to call the dish as I have called it;' and it was served to us on silver soup-plates by the footmen in the canary coats, with the mouton aux navets. Then 'ale and water' were brought, and served to us young ladies in wine-glasses. I am not a judge of ale, but I can say with a clear conscience I prefer water.

"While we were enjoying our repast, Sir Pitt took occasion to ask what had become of the shoulders of the mutton?

"'I believe they were eaten in the servants' hall,' said my lady, humbly.

"'They was, my lady,' said Horrocks, 'and precious little else we get there neither.'

"Sir Pitt burst into a hoarse laugh, and continued his conversation with Mr. Horrocks. 'That there little black pig of the Kent sow's breed must be uncommon fat now.'

"'It's not quite busting, Sir Pitt,' said the Butler with the gravest air, at which Sir Pitt, and with him the young ladies, this time, began to laugh violently.

"'Miss Crawley, Miss Rose Crawley,' said Mr. Crawley, 'your laughter strikes me as being exceedingly out of place.'

"'Never mind my Lord,' said the Baronet, 'we'll try the porker on Saturday. Kill 'un on Saturday morning, John Horrocks. Miss Sharp adores pork, don't you, Miss Sharp?'

"And I think this is all the conversation that I remember at dinner. When the repast was concluded a jug of hot water was placed before Sir Pitt, with a case-bottle containing, I believe, rum. Mr. Horrocks served myself and my pupils with three little glasses of wine, and a bumper was poured out for my lady. When we retired, she took from her work-drawer an enormous interminable piece of knitting; the young ladies began to play at cribbage with a dirty pack of cards. We had but one candle lighted, but it was in a magnificent old silver candlestick, and after a very few questions from my lady, I had my choice of amusement between a volume of sermons, and a pamphlet on the corn-laws, which Mr. Crawley had been reading before dinner.

"So we sat for an hour until steps were heard.

"'Put away the cards, girls,' cried my lady, in a great tremor; 'put down Mr. Crawley's books, Miss Sharp:' and these orders had been scarcely obeyed, when Mr. Crawley entered the room.