-- During this whole
transaction he spoke not a syllable, but looked exceeding grim,
sometimes at one, sometimes at another of the spectators, who now
adjourned in a body to the parlour where we had supped, every one
surveying another with marks of astonishment and curiosity.
The knight being seated in an easy chair, seized my uncle by the
hand, and bursting into a long and loud laugh, 'Matt (cried he),
crown me with oak, or ivy, or laurel, or parsely, or what you
will, and acknowledge this to be a coup de maitre in the way of
waggery -- ha, ha, ha! -- Such a camisciata, scagliata, beffata! O,
che roba! O, what a subject! -- O, what caricatura! -- O, for a Rosa,
a Rembrandt, a Schalken! -- Zooks, I'll give a hundred guineas to
have it painted! -- what a fine descent from the cross, or ascent
to the gallows! what lights and shadows! -- what a groupe below!
what expression above! -- what an aspect! -- did you mind the aspect?
ha, ha, ha! -- and the limbs, and the muscles every toe denoted
terror! ha, ha, ha! -- then the blanket! O, what costume! St
Andrew! St Lazarus! St Barrabas! -- ha, ha, ha!' 'After all then
(cried Mr Bramble very gravely), this was no more than a false
alarm.
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