"Aye, there are a couple of Fellows coming down to put up two little Shelves and Brackets, for some little Matters that the Mantel-Piece is too shallow for. I bespoke the Men overnight, and brought the Toys in with me. Here, Peter, you Knave, bring them in."
Where was the Use of saying Anything?
"Now," says he, laughing as he unpacked them, "here are the comicallest Things you ever saw in your life; and so you'll say, Mrs. Gatty. Look here—a rural Piece in Cherry-Wood Carving, Farm-Yard and Farm-House; a Beggar approaching the Door. I wind it up behind, like a Time-Piece. Now, mark you, the Fun of the Thing! The Beggar advances—out flies a Mastiff from the House, and furiously attacks him! ha, ha, ha!
"Now, look at this other, its Companion; a lone House in the Country; Time, Peep of Day.... A Thief getting in at a First-Floor Window, by Means of a Ladder ... Hodge, coming out of the Barn, with a Pitchfork, assails him from behind,—you shall see how, as soon as I have wound it up. Now then! ho! ho! ho! see how he digs into him."
Gatty burst into such an irrepressible Fit of pretty Laughter, that my Father was her sworn Friend from that Moment; while Prue and I, influenced by mixed Feelings of Vexation and Amusement, laughed with more Constraint.
While my Father was making Hodge assail the Marauder again and again, and each Time bursting into fresh Peals of Merriment, enters to him Peter, with a Paper in his Hand, a Glance at which changed my Father's Note in an Instant.
"Hark ye, Peter!" says he; "why, your Face is a Yard long! What's your Name, Man? your Sirname, I mean."
"Greaves is my Sirname, Sir—Peter Greaves."
"Peter Grievous, it should ha' been! Peter Grievous-had-a-Cat! And your Crest, a Cat proper, with the Motto, 'When I'm pleased, I purr!' But this is no purring Matter, Peter; tell the Fellow who brought this Paper, that I'm not at Home—I sha'n't be, by the Time you get to him."
And, snatching up his Hat, he hastily made off through the Glass-Door into the Garden; and thence, no Doubt, to his Crony, Don Saltero, for whom, indeed, he had such a profound Admiration, that I believe no Title of Honour could have been conferred on himself that he would have liked half as well as that of Don Honeywood-o. When he was gone, Prue and I locked up the new Purchases, and sent away the Carpenters, telling them to await future Orders; and Gatty wrote a Billet to Lady Betty, to acquaint her with her Amendment, and request Directions concerning her Return. Meanwhile, I was carrying up Mr. Fenwick's Chocolate, when Prue, meeting me on the Stairs, said, "Oh, I meant to have saved you that Trouble, dear Patty."