（
极品大少在都市）（
魔天记）（
九尾猫妃）（
斗神）（
权妃之帝医风华）（
仙君好温柔）by washington irving
it was buew days before that the carriagealderman popkins had drivento the inho have seenenglish family carriagethe continent, must know the sensation ian epitomeengland; a little morselthe old island rolling about the world—every thingpact,snug,finishedwheels that rollpatent axles without rattling; the body that hangswellits springs, yieldingevery motion, yet proof against every shock.
the ruddy faces gaping outthe windows; sometimesa portly old citizen, sometimesa voluminous dowager, and sometimesa fine fresh hoyden, just from boardin then the dickeys loaded with well-dressed servants, beef-fed and bluff; looking down from their heights with contemptall the world around; profoundly ignorantthe country and the people, and devoutly certain that every thing not english mustwrong.
such was the carriagealderman popkins,it made its appearancourier who had preceded it,order horses, and who waeapolitan, had giveagnificent accountthe riches and greatnesshis master, blundering with allitalian’s splendorimagination about the alderman’s titles and dignities; the host had added his usual shareexaggeration,thatthe time the alderman droveto the door,was milor—magnifico—principe—the lord knows what!
the alderman was advisedtakeescortfondi and itri, buasmucha man’s life was worth,said,stop himthe king’s highway;would plainitthe ambassadornaples;would makational principezza popkins, a fresh, motherly dame, seemed perfectly securethe protectionher husband,omnipotenanth signorini popkins, two fine bouncing girls, lookedtheir brother tom, who had taken lessonsboxing; andto the dandy himself,was surescaramouchan italian robber would daremeddle witandlord shrugged his shoulders and turned out the palmshis hands witrue italian grimace, and the carriagemilor popkins rolled on.
they passed through several very suspicious places withoutmisses popkins, who were very romantic, and had learntdrawwater colors, were enchanted with the savage scenery around;waslike what they had read i’s romances, they should likeall thingsmak length, the carriage arriveda place where the road wounda long hill.
mrs. popkins had sunk intleep; the young ladies were reading the last workssir walter scott and lord byron, and the dandy was hectoring the postilions from the coac alderman got out,he said,stretch his legsth waong winding ascent, and obliged him every now and thenstop and blow and wipe his forehead with manish! and phew! being rather pursy and shortwind.
as the carriage, however, was far behind him, and toiling slowly under the weightso many well-stuffed trunks and well-stuffed travellers, hehad plentytimewalkleisure.
outting pointrock that overhung the road nearlythe summitthe hill, just where the route began againdescend,saolitary man seated, who appearedbe tendin popkins was oneyour shrewd travellers that always likebe pickingsmall information along the road,he thought he’d just scrambleto the honest man, and havittle talk with himwaylearning the news and gettinesson idrew nearthe peasantdid not half likewas partly recliningthe rocks wrappedthe usual long mantle, which, with his slouched hat, only lefarta swarthy visage, witeen black eye, a beetle brow, anierce moustachebe seen.
he had whistled several timeshis dog which was roving about the sideth the alderman approachedrose and greete standing erectseemed almost gigantic,leastthe eyesalderman popkins; who, however, beinhort man, mightdeceived.
the latter would gladly now have been backthe carriage,even’changelondon, forwasno means well pleased with hi,determinedput the best facematters, and was beginninonversation about the statethe weather, the baddishnessthe crops, and the pricegoatsthat partthe country, whenheariolen ranthe edgethe rock, and, looking over, saw away down the road his carriage surroundedrobbers.
one held down the fat footman, another had the dandyhis starched cravat, witistolhis head; one was rummaginortmanteau, another rummaging the principezza’s pockets, while the two misses popkins were screaming from each windowthe carriage, and their waiting maid squalling from the dickey.
alderman popkins felt all the furythe parent and the magistrate roused withi grasped his cane and wasthe pointscrambling down the rocks, eitherassault the robbersto read the riot act, whenwas suddenly graspedth washis friend the goatherd, whose cloak, falling partly off, discovereelt stuck fullpistolsshort,found himselfthe clutchesthe captainthe band, who had stationed himselfthe rocklook out for travellers andgive noticehis men.
a sad ransacking too were turned inside out, and all the finery and the fripperythe popkins family scattered abouta chaosvenice beads and roman mosaics; and paris bonsthe young ladies, mingled with the alderman’s night-caps and lamb’s wool stockings, and the dandy’s hair-brushes, stays, and starched cravats.
the gentlemen were easedtheir purses and their watches; the ladiestheir jewels, and the whole party werethe pointbeing carriedinto the mountain, when fortunately the appearancesoldierya distance obliged the robbersmake off with the spoils they had secured, and leave the popkins familygather together the remnantstheir effects, and make the besttheir wayfondi.
when safe arrived, the alderman maderrible blusteringthe inn; threatenedplainthe ambassadornaples, and was readyshake his canethe whol dandy had many storiestellhis scuffles with the brigands, who overpowered him merely bthe misses popkins, they were quite delighted with the adventure, and were occupied the whole eveningwritingin thei declared the captainthe bandbost romantic-looking man; they daredsay some unfortunate lover,exiled nobleman:and severalthe bandbe very handsome young men—“quite picturesque!”
“in verity,” said mine hostterracina, “they say the captainthe bandun galant uomo.”
“a gallant man!” said the englishman.
“i’d have your gallant man hang’d likog!”
“to daremeddle with englishmen!” said mr. hobbs.
“and sucamilythe popkinses!” said mr. dobbs.
“they oughte upon the country for damages!” said mr. hobbs.
“our ambassador should makomplaintthe governmentnaples,” said mr. dobbs.
“they shouldrequesteddrive these rascals outthe country,” said hobbs.
“if they did not,should declare war against them!” said dobbs.
the englishman waittle weariedthis story, andthe ultra zealhis countrymen, and was glad wheummonstheir supper relieved him frorowalked out with his veian friends anoung frenchmanan interesting demeanor, who had bee sociable with themthe courseth directed their steps toward the sea, which was litby the risin veian, outpoliteness, left his beautiful wifebe escortedth latter, however, either from shynessreserve, did not avail himselfthe civility, but walkedwithout offeringfair veian, with all her devotionher husband, waittle tleda wantgallantrywhich her charms had rendered her unaccustomed, and took the proffered armthe frenchman witretty airpique, which, however, was entirely lost upon the phlegmatic delinquent.
not far distant from the inn they camewhere there waodysoldiersthe beach, encircling and guardinumbergalley slaves, whowere permittedrefresh themselvesthe evening breeze, andsport and roll upon the sand.
“it was difficult,” the frenchman observed, “to conceivore frightful masscrime than was her parricide, the fratricide, the infanticide, who had first fled from justice and turned mountain bandit, and then,betraying his brother desperadoes, had boughommutationpunishment, and the privilegewallowingthe shore forhouay, with this wretched crewmiscreants!”
the remarkthe frenchman hatrong effect upon the pany, particularly upon the veian lady, who shudderedshe casimid lookthis hordewretchestheir evening relaxation.“they seemed,” she said, “likemany serpents, wreathing and twisting together.”
the frenchman now advertedthe stories they had been listeningat the inn, adding, thatthey had any further curiositythe subject,could recountadventure which happenedhimself among the robbers and which might give them some ideathe habits and mannersthos wasairmodesty and frankness about the frenchman which had gained the good-willthe whole party, not even exceptingall gladly accepted his proposition; andthey strolled slowlyand down the seashore,related the following adventure.
m.pi.co
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