- end_line
- 9080
- extracted_at
- 2026-01-30T20:48:14.842Z
- extracted_by
- structure-extraction-lambda
- start_line
- 9009
- text
- about the waiters; and with a silent salute, received the silver of the
guests.
Our entrance excited little or no notice; for every body present seemed
exceedingly animated about concerns of their own; and a large group was
gathered around one tall, military looking gentleman, who was reading
some India war-news from the Times, and commenting on it, in a very
loud voice, condemning, in toto, the entire campaign.
We seated ourselves apart from this group, and Harry, rapping on the
table, called for wine; mentioning some curious foreign name.
The decanter, filled with a pale yellow wine, being placed before us,
and my comrade having drunk a few glasses; he whispered me to remain
where I was, while he withdrew for a moment.
I saw him advance to the turret-like place, and exchange a confidential
word with the almond tree there, who immediately looked very much
surprised,—I thought, a little disconcerted,—and then disappeared with
him.
While my friend was gone, I occupied myself with looking around me, and
striving to appear as indifferent as possible, and as much used to all
this splendor as if I had been born in it. But, to tell the truth, my
head was almost dizzy with the strangeness of the sight, and the
thought that I was really in London. What would my brother have said?
What would Tom Legare, the treasurer of the Juvenile Temperance
Society, have thought?
But I almost began to fancy I had no friends and relatives living in a
little village three thousand five hundred miles off, in America; for
it was hard to unite such a humble reminiscence with the splendid
animation of the London-like scene around me.
And in the delirium of the moment, I began to indulge in foolish golden
visions of the counts and countesses to whom Harry might introduce me;
and every instant I expected to hear the waiters addressing some
gentleman as _“My Lord,”_ or _“four Grace.”_ But if there were really
any lords present, the waiters omitted their titles, at least in my
hearing.
Mixed with these thoughts were confused visions of St. Paul’s and the
Strand, which I determined to visit the very next morning, before
breakfast, or perish in the attempt. And I even longed for Harry’s
return, that we might immediately sally out into the street, and see
some of the sights, before the shops were all closed for the night.
While I thus sat alone, I observed one of the waiters eying me a little
impertinently, as I thought, and as if he saw something queer about me.
So I tried to assume a careless and lordly air, and by way of helping
the thing, threw one leg over the other, like a young Prince Esterhazy;
but all the time I felt my face burning with embarrassment, and for the
time, I must have looked very guilty of something. But spite of this, I
kept looking boldly out of my eyes, and straight through my blushes,
and observed that every now and then little parties were made up among
the gentlemen, and they retired into the rear of the house, as if going
to a private apartment. And I overheard one of them drop the word
_Rouge;_ but he could not have used rouge, for his face was exceedingly
pale. Another said something about _Loo._
At last Harry came back, his face rather flushed.
“Come along, Redburn,” said he.
So making no doubt we were off for a ramble, perhaps to Apsley House,
in the Park, to get a sly peep at the old Duke before he retired for
the night, for Harry had told me the Duke always went to bed early, I
sprang up to follow him; but what was my disappointment and surprise,
when he only led me into the passage, toward a staircase lighted by
three marble Graces, unitedly holding a broad candelabra, like an elk’s
antlers, over the landing.
- title
- Chunk 2