“Wall,” sez I, “we’ll be havin’ dinner before long.” We laid out to eat at Warwick before we went back.
Sez I, “Look round you and let your soul grow by takin’ in these noble sights.” Sez I, “Look at them bronzes and tortoise-shell and ivory and mosaic.”
Sez he, “I’d swop the hull lot of ’em, if they belonged to me, for a plate of nut cakes or a bologna sassige. And I’d ruther see a good platter of pork and beans than the hull on ’em!”
I knew he wouldn’t complain so much alone, so I left him and sauntered round to look at the beautiful objects on every side.
In the state bedroom is the bed that belonged to Queen Anne, and the table and trunks that she used, also her picter.
In the grand dinin’ hall is a great sideboard, made from a oak that grew on the Kenilworth estate, so old that they spoze it wuz standin’ when Queen Elizabeth come here to the castle a-visitin’.
The carvin’s on it show the comin’ of Queen Elizabeth and her train, her meetin’ with sweet Amy Robsart in the grotto, the queen’s meetin’ with Leicester, etc., etc.
Jest as I wuz a-lookin’ at this and a-standin’ before it in deep thought, Martin come on out of the drawin’-room, and sez he—
“A wonderful display of art and virtu!” sez he.
My eye wuz bent on that sideboard, and I sez—