"But the old put didn't wait to hear me say all this. Before the
words were well out of my mouth, she gave a bounce, to the bell-rope
first--I thought she'd ha' jerked it to pieces--and then to the
head of the stairs."
"Excuse me for a moment, sir, if you please," she said, in a
considerable fidget.
"Certainly, ma'am," says I, with a great Kentucky sort of bow and
natural civility; and then I could hear her squalling from the
head of the stairs, and at the top of her voice, "Julia! Julia!
Julia!"--but there was no answer from Julia. Then came the servants;
then came the outcry; then she bounced back into the parlor,
and blazed out at me for not telling her at once that it was her
daughter who had been carried off, without making so long a story
of it, and putting in so much talk about tobacco.
"Lord bless you, my dear woman!" says I, innocent enough, was that
pretty girl your daughter? That accounts for the fellow looking
up at the window so often; and I to fancy that it was all because
I might have given him a quid!"
"You must have seen her THEN!"
"Well, ma'am," said I, "I must come again about the negroes. I
see you've got your hands full."
"And, with that, I pushed down stairs, while she blazed out at
her husband, whom she called an old fool; and me, whom she called
a young one; and the negroes, whom she ordered to fly in a hundred
ways in the same breath; and, to make matters worse, she seized
her hat and shawl, and bounced down the steps after me. Here we
were in a fix again, that made her a hundred times more furious.
The street-door was locked on the outside, and the key gone, and
I fastened up with the old mad tabby. I tried to stand it while
the servants were belaboring to break open, but the storm was too
heavy, and, raising a sash, I went through: and, in good faith, I
believe she bounced through after me; for, when I got fairly into
the street and looked round, there she went, bounce, flounce,
pell-mell, all in a rage, steam up, puffing like a porpoise--though,
thank Jupiter! she took another course from myself. I was glad to
get out of her clutches, I assure you."
Such was Kingsley's account of his expedition, told in his
particular manner; and endued with the dramatic vitality which he
was well able to give it, it was inimitable. It needs but a few
words to finish it. Mrs. Clifford, with unerring instinct, made
her way to the house of that friendly lady who had assisted our
proceedings. But she came too late for anything but abuse. Julia
was irrevocably mine. Bitter was the clamor which, in our chamber,
assailed us from below.