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The Ayrshire Legatees-Part3_John Galt(1779-1839)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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ordinaire week-day at the manse; and this very morning I saw madam,



the kitchen lass, mounted on a pair of pattens, washing the plain

stenes before the door; na, for that matter, a bare foot is not to



be seen within the four walls of London, at the least I have na seen

no such thing.



In the way of marketing, things are very good here, and considering,

not dear; but all is sold by the licht weight, only the fish are



awful; half a guinea for a cod's head, and no bigger than the drouds

the cadgers bring from Ayr, at a shilling and eighteenpence apiece.



Tell Miss Nanny Eydent that I have seen none of the fashions as yet;

but we are going to the burial of the auld king next week, and I'll



write her a particular account how the leddies are dressed; but

everybody is in deep mourning. Howsomever I have seen but little,



and that only in a manner from the window; but I could not miss the

opportunity of a frank that Andrew has got, and as he's waiting for



the pen, you must excuse haste. From your sincere friend,

JANET PRINGLE.



LETTER VII

Andrew Pringle, Esq., to the Rev. Charles Snodgrass--LONDON.



My Dear Friend--It will give you pleasure to hear that my father is

likely to get his business speedily settled without any



equivocation; and that all those prudential considerations which

brought us to London were but the phantasms of our own inexperience.



I use the plural, for I really share in the shame of having called

in question the high character of the agents: it ought to have been



warrantry enough that everything would be fairly adjusted. But I

must give you some account of what has taken place, to illustrate



our provincialism, and to give you some idea of the way of doing

business in London.



After having recovered from the effects, and repaired some of the

accidents of our voyage, we yesterday morning sallied forth, the



Doctor, my mother, and your humble servant, in a hackney coach, to

Broad Street, where the agents have their counting-house, and were



ushered into a room among other legatees or clients, waiting for an

audience of Mr. Argent, the principal of the house.



I know not how it is, that the little personal peculiarities, so

amusing to strangers, should be painful when we see them in those



whom we love and esteem; but I own to you, that there was a

something in the demeanour of the old folks on this occasion, that



would have been exceedingly diverting to me, had my filial reverence

been less sincere for them.



The establishment of Messrs. Argent and Company is of vast extent,

and has in it something even of a public magnitude; the number of



the clerks, the assiduity of all, and the order that obviously

prevails throughout, give at the first sight, an impression that



bespeaks respect for the stability and integrity of the concern.

When we had been seated about ten minutes, and my father's name



taken to Mr. Argent, an answer was brought, that he would see us as

soon as possible; but we were obliged to wait at least half an hour



more. Upon our being at last admitted, Mr. Argent received us

standing, and in an easy gentlemanly manner said to my father, "You



are the residuary legatee of the late Colonel Armour. I am sorry

that you did not apprise me of this visit, that I might have been



prepared to give the information you naturally desire; but if you

will call here to-morrow at 12 o'clock, I shall then be able to



satisfy you on the subject. Your lady, I presume?" he added,

turning to my mother; "Mrs. Argent will have the honour of waiting



on you; may I therefore beg the favour of your address?"

Fortunately I was provided with cards, and having given him one, we



found ourselves constrained, as it were, to take our leave. The

whole interview did not last two minutes, and I never was less



satisfied with myself. The Doctor and my mother were in the

greatest anguish; and when we were again seated in the coach, loudly



expressed their apprehensions. They were convinced that some

stratagem was meditated; they feared that their journey to London



would prove as little satisfactory as that of the Wrongheads, and

that they had been throwing away good money in building castles in



the air.

It had been previously arranged, that we were to return for my



sister, and afterwards visit some of the sights; but the clouded

visages of her father and mother darkened the very spirit of Rachel,






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