And on
the dresser, and before the fire, whole hecatombs of fragrant victims,
which needed neither frankincense nor myrrh; Clovelly herrings and
Torridge salmon, Exmoor mutton and Stow venison, stubble geese and
woodcocks, curlew and snipe, hams of Hampshire, chitterlings of Taunton,
and botargos of Cadiz, such as Pantagruel himself might have devoured.
And Jack eyed them, as a ragged boy eyes the cakes in a pastrycook's
window; and thought of the scraps from the commoners' dinner, which were
his wages for cleaning out the hall; and meditated deeply on the unequal
distribution of human bliss.
"Ah, Mr. Brimblecombe!" said the host, bustling out with knife and apron
to cool himself in the passage. "Here are doings! Nine gentlemen to
supper!"
"Nine! Are they going to eat all that?"
"Well, I can't say--that Mr. Amyas is as good as three to his trencher:
but still there's crumbs, Mr. Brimblecombe, crumbs; and waste not
want not is my doctrine; so you and I may have a somewhat to stay our
stomachs, about an eight o'clock."
"Eight?" said Jack, looking wistfully at the clock. "It's but four now.
Well, it's kind of you, and perhaps I'll look in."
"Just you step in now, and look to this venison. There's a breast! you
may lay your two fingers into the say there, and not get to the bottom
of the fat.
Pages:
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293