"They were the general's," repeated the two young ladies; blushing, however, as they alluded to the subject.
"Well, we thought they were the general's, certainly; and a very excellent article they were," said Mrs.Jones.
"Perhaps they were the butler's?" said Aunt Sally.I certainly had not given her credit for so much sarca**.
"Butler's!" exclaimed Miss Grogram, with a toss of her head.
"Oh, Aunt Sally, Aunt Sally! how can you?" shrieked the two young ladies.
"Oh laws!" ejaculated Mrs.Jones.
"I don't think that they could have belonged to the butler," said Miss Macmanus, with much authority, "seeing that domestics in this country are never clad in garments of that description; so far my own observation enables me to speak with certainty.But it is equally sure that they were never the property of the general lately in command at Antwerp.Generals, when they are in full dress, wear ornamental lace upon their--their regimentals; and when--" So much she said, and something more, which it may be unnecessary that Ishould repeat; but such were her eloquence and logic that no doubt would have been left on the mind of any impartial hearer.If an argumentative speaker ever proved anything, Miss Macmanus proved that General Chasse had never been the wearer of the article in question.
"But I know very well they were his!" said Miss Grogram, who was not an impartial hearer."Of course they were; whose else's should they be?""I'm sure I hope they were his," said one of the young ladies, almost crying.
"I wish I'd never taken it," said the other.
"Dear, dear, dear!" said Mrs.Jones.
"I'll give you my needle-case, Miss Grogram," said Aunt Sally.
I had sat hitherto silent during the whole scene, meditating how best I might confound the red-nosed harpy.Now, I thought, was the time for me to strike in.
"I really think, ladies, that there has been some mistake," said I.
"There has been no mistake at all, sir!" said Miss Grogram.
"Perhaps not," I answered, very mildly; "very likely not.But some affair of a similar nature was very much talked about in Antwerp yesterday.""Oh laws!" again ejaculated Mrs.Jones.
"The affair I allude to has been talked about a good deal, certainly," I continued."But perhaps it may be altogether a different circumstance.""And what may be the circumstance to which you allude?" asked Miss Macmanus, in the same authoritative tone.
"I dare say it has nothing to do with these ladies," said I; "but an article of dress, of the nature they have described, was cut up in the Castle of Antwerp on the day before yesterday.It belonged to a gentleman who was visiting the place; and I was given to understand that he is determined to punish the people who have wronged him.""It can't be the same," said Miss Grogram; but I could see that she was trembling.
"Oh laws! what will become of us?" said Mrs.Jones.
"You can all prove that I didn't touch them, and that I warned her not," said Aunt Sally.In the mean time the two young ladies had almost fainted behind their fans.
"But how had it come to pass," asked Miss Macmanus, "that the gentleman had--""I know nothing more about it, cousin," said I; "only it does seem that there is an odd coincidence."Immediately after this I took my leave.I saw that I had avenged my friend, and spread dismay in the hearts of these who had injured him.I had learned in the course of the evening at what hotel the five ladies were staying; and in the course of the next morning Isauntered into the hall, and finding one of the porters alone, asked if they were still there.The man told me that they had started by the earliest diligence."And," said he, "if you are a friend of theirs, perhaps you will take charge of these things, which they have left behind them?" So saying, he pointed to a table at the back of the hall, on which were lying the black bag, the black needle-case, the black pin cushion, and the black pen-wiper.There was also a heap of fragments of cloth which I well knew had been intended by Miss Grogram for the comfort of her feet and ancles.
I declined the commission, however."They were no special friends of mine," I said; and I left all the relics still lying on the little table in the back hall.
"Upon the whole, I am satisfied!" said the Rev.Augustus Horne, when I told him the finale of the story.
End