“He seems to beckon thee to his cave.”
Our group at length entered the great room, where their appearance
created a very general sensation, notwithstanding the immense circle
already formed round a character, which, previous to their entrance, had
been the centre of attraction. They could not penetrate near enough to
the inner part of the ring to see what was going on; but were told by a
gentleman, who was politely resigning his own place to put our heroine a
step nearer promotion, that the character so surrounded was certainly the
best which had yet appeared; and that, though unmasked, no one could make
him out. “It would have been a thousand pities,” added General Morven,
whom they now encountered, “had he worn a mask; for the countenance is
the best half of the jest, he looks so completely in earnest!” “And so
truly anxious to commend and sell his goods,” said our first informant,
who seemed to be a friend of the General’s, for they shook hands, and
Generaled and Admiraled each other.
“And treats every one,” rejoined the General, “so exactly with the degree
of respect which their assumed character claims.”
“The look he gave the woman selling the last dying speech, would
immortalize a new Garrick!” said the General. “In short the whole thing
is the most complete piece of acting I ever saw! His expression too of
disappointment and astonishment is so good, when people, after looking at
and pricing things, walk off without buying.”
Julia and Frances, each leaning on an arm of Edmund, had by this time,
with the assistance of the General and his friend, got almost to the
front of the circle; whence, who should they behold standing in the
centre, little thinking he was at a masquerade, and striving heart and
soul to sell his fine things, but our old acquaintance Gotterimo. He was
making his best bows to Lady Morven, who, in the blaze of jewels we have
already described, was seated with her Sultan on a splendid ottoman. Ere,
however, we proceed to relate what immediately followed, we must account
for our poor little friend being found in such good company.
Having on his return to town, made some discoveries respecting the
valuables pawned by the famous swindler, which, from the great interest
evinced by Mrs. Montgomery in the mosaics, he thought might be of
consequence to a family that had so greatly befriended him, he determined
to make his next travelling speculation, attendance on the Ayrshire race
meeting, and at its conclusion to proceed to Lord Arandale’s castle,
and give his lordship the important information. Various accidents so
delayed our little traveller on the cross road, that he did not arrive
at Arandale till many hours later than he intended. When he came to the
lodge gates, he found them all open, and the grounds, as he proceeded,
covered with lights, merry groups, &c. &c. “Dis be von fair,” thought
Gotterimo; and he debated with himself, whether he should not take
the opportunity of doing a little business; but, on second thoughts,
he decided that an out of door fair held by torch-light, was no place
to expose for sale such valuable articles as those of which his stock
consisted. He continued his way, therefore, towards the Castle. This he
found also lit up; while beneath its illuminated colonnade, ascending
its steps, and entering its open portals, he observed a motley crowd,
many of whom, as the seller of matches, were of much lower degree than
himself. He could, therefore, feel no scruples in entering. He saw also,
in the first hall, many who appeared prepared to turn a penny as well
as himself; for some had packs on their backs, some baskets in their
hands with perfumery, pastry, pamphlets, newspapers, &c. He also saw
as many, or more persons, whose appearance justified the hope of their
making costly purchases. “Dis be de place for me!” thought Gotterimo. The
crowd in the hall were moving onward, and he moved with them. “I vill
just go fere I see de odder tradge-peoples go,” he thought. He observed
each person, as they passed a respectable looking man in black at the
foot of the stairs, present a card. This appeared to him a very regular
and business-like proceeding. He determined, therefore, to do the like;
and taking out one of his own cards, indicating the articles he had for
sale, and the street and number of his shop in Bath, he handed it to the
butler, who stood receiving, almost at the same moment, so many tickets,
that the nature of Gotterimo’s deposit was unnoticed.
He now ascended the great stairs without further obstacle, admiring as he
went the magnificent carpets, which were spread beneath his feet on every
step; the rich candelabras, which were held aloft by statues of bronze
on every landing; and the splendid gold-laced liveries of the servants,
who, everywhere, pointed the way, (gold in any shape, was never lost on
Gotterimo). He passed through the cave, at a time when it was so much
crowded, that he was not observed by his friends, the sea-nymphs; nor
did he see them, so entirely was his attention absorbed, examining the
pearls that lay scattered beneath his feet, to ascertain if any of them
were real. Finding them however to be but imitation, he passed on through
the grove to the great room. Here his ears were at once assailed with
“Oystairs! Oystairs!” “Who’ll buy my primroses?” “Horrible and unnatural
murder!—most cruel murder!” “Ripe strawberries! Ripe strawberries!”
“Large apples! Large apples! Large apples!” And now a light wheelbarrow,
impelled forward with the speed of a velocipede, by as light a little
girl, ran up against him and almost upset itself, by driving over his
feet. Flower girls courtesied as they passed, offering for sale bunches
of roses. “You be var civil, my pretty dears,” said Gotterimo, “but I no
give no money for such foolish tings.”
A richly dressed group now came in view; and Gotterimo thought he might
have done “de great deal of business,” if it had not been for the
ungenerous interference of a noisy, obtrusive, gentleman’s hair-dresser,
while he offered for sale rouge, stays accommodated to the shape,
lip-salve _à la rose_, Sicilian bloom, whiskers, eyebrows, moustache, and
⸺’s invaluable solution for rendering red or grey hair a beautiful black,
displaying for the benefit of single gentlemen, a long list of the names
of rich widows and great heiresses, &c.
Soon after this, it was, that our party, having as we have described,
pressed their way through the surrounding crowd, first discovered, in
the object of general curiosity, their little friend Gotterimo. He was,
at the moment, as we have stated, making all his best bows to Lady
Morven and Mr. Graham, the splendour of whose appearance had filled his
bosom with hopes almost as dazzling as the constellation before which he
worshipped. Lord Arandale now joining the group, a grand denouement took
place. After much ado, the poor little intruder was got to comprehend,
in some degree, his situation; at least to know that all the mob which
surrounded him, consisted of ladies and gentlemen; though, why many of
them should choose to appear so little like such, might not, perhaps,
come quite within the scope of his comprehension.
Gotterimo’s motives for visiting Arandale having been, in the first
few moments, explained to the Earl, his lordship, with his good-natured
smile, whispered about among his friends, the true quality of the
supposed well sustained character. The buzz went round; and Gotterimo,
on his progress through the rooms, to make his exit, was so often
intercepted by such as wished either to oblige their noble host, or
reward the little man for the amusement he had afforded themselves, that
our friend’s boxes were quickly cleared of all their contents, and at
prices highly satisfactory to the vendor; who, on perceiving that he
obtained whatever he demanded, not from the ignorance but from the whim
of the purchasers, began to think it no great sin to raise the market a
little.
Immediately after the interruption occasioned by Gotterimo’s adventures,
our sea-nymphs and wood-nymphs, led by Britannia herself, formed for a
peculiar dance, the plan of which had been previously arranged. The
figure was to take in the whole of the united group; and, on a signal
given by the music, the young lady’s respective partners, in whatever
disguise, were to join them as they stood in their places. Young Lord K⸺
approached Lady Susan. Sir Philip flew to the side of Frances. Henry took
his place near one of the Misses Morven. Lord Morven, Colonel Morven, &c.
filled up the party, till Julia alone stood unclaimed, and, at the same
time, importunately beset for alms by the old blind man who sold matches.
He was bent double. A profusion of white hair fell around his patched and
ragged shoulders. He held in one hand his hat, crutch, and the string
by which his dog was fastened, while his other hand was stretched forth
with a beseeching palm, and, in the piteous and tremulous accents of
extreme age, he craved her ladyship’s compassion. At length, to humour
the jest, she offered him a small donation. This the mendicant bent on
one knee to receive, grasping, as he did so, and firmly retaining the
hand that presented it in one of his, while, with the other, he flung
off his disguises, and sprang to his feet the young and handsome Marquis
of H⸺, unmasked, but dressed for Neptune, with a crown and trident, and
splendid armour of gold and silver scales. The plaudits on the occasion
were universal.
Edmund, who was thrown out by his absence from the breakfast table when
the engagements for this dance were being formed, and who, consequently,
was but a spectator, felt his arm touched from behind. He looked over
his shoulder, and beheld the juggler, who, turning, made signs to him to
follow; he did not, however, feel disposed to take the hint. The dumb
fortune-teller pressed nearer, and said, in a low distinct whisper, “I
am not what I seem: follow me, if you wish to know who you are!” These
words aroused Edmund. He turned and immediately followed. “It must be
some impertinent jest,” he said to himself, angry at his own credulity,
“yet it is just possible that—that something, that some one connected
with my strange history may—may have chosen——.” The dark figure meanwhile
glided as rapidly through the dense crowd, as if there had been no
obstacle to its free passage. It was with difficulty just kept in view by
Edmund.