Burlesques William Makepeace Thackeray

98
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