Works of Charles Dickens - Charles Dickens [6560]
'Well, I never!' exclaimed Mrs. Tuggs, as she and Mr. Joseph Tuggs, and Miss Charlotta Tuggs, and Mr. Cymon Tuggs, with their eight feet in a corresponding number of yellow shoes, seated themselves on four rush-bottomed chairs, which, being placed in a soft part of the sand, forthwith sunk down some two feet and a half--'Well, I never!'
Mr. Cymon, by an exertion of great personal strength, uprooted the chairs, and removed them further back.
'Why, I'm blessed if there ain't some ladies a-going in!' exclaimed Mr. Joseph Tuggs, with intense astonishment.
'Lor, pa!' exclaimed Miss Charlotta.
'There IS, my dear,' said Mr. Joseph Tuggs. And, sure enough, four young ladies, each furnished with a towel, tripped up the steps of a bathing-machine. In went the horse, floundering about in the water; round turned the machine; down sat the driver; and presently out burst the young ladies aforesaid, with four distinct splashes.
'Well, that's sing'ler, too!' ejaculated Mr. Joseph Tuggs, after an awkward pause. Mr. Cymon coughed slightly.
'Why, here's some gentlemen a-going in on this side!' exclaimed Mrs. Tuggs, in a tone of horror.
Three machines--three horses--three flounderings--three turnings round--three splashes--three gentlemen, disporting themselves in the water like so many dolphins.
'Well, THAT'S sing'ler!' said Mr. Joseph Tuggs again. Miss Charlotta coughed this time, and another pause ensued. It was agreeably broken.
'How d'ye do, dear? We have been looking for you, all the morning,' said a voice to Miss Charlotta Tuggs. Mrs. Captain Waters was the owner of it.
'How d'ye do?' said Captain Walter Waters, all suavity; and a most cordial interchange of greetings ensued.
'Belinda, my love,' said Captain Walter Waters, applying his glass to his eye, and looking in the direction of the sea.
'Yes, my dear,' replied Mrs. Captain Waters.
'There's Harry Thompson!'
'Where?' said Belinda, applying her glass to her eye.
'Bathing.'
'Lor, so it is! He don't see us, does he?'
'No, I don't think he does' replied the captain. 'Bless my soul, how very singular!'
'What?' inquired Belinda.
'There's Mary Golding, too.'
'Lor!--where?' (Up went the glass again.)
'There!' said the captain, pointing to one of the young ladies before noticed, who, in her bathing costume, looked as if she was enveloped in a patent Mackintosh, of scanty dimensions.
'So it is, I declare!' exclaimed Mrs. Captain Waters. 'How very curious we should see them both!'
'Very,' said the captain, with perfect coolness.
'It's the reg'lar thing here, you see,' whispered Mr. Cymon Tuggs to his father.
'I see it is,' whispered Mr. Joseph Tuggs in reply. 'Queer, though--ain't it?' Mr. Cymon Tuggs nodded assent.
'What do you think of doing with yourself this morning?' inquired the captain. 'Shall we lunch at Pegwell?'
'I should like that very much indeed,' interposed Mrs. Tuggs. She had never heard of Pegwell; but the word 'lunch' had reached her ears, and it sounded very agreeably.
'How shall we go?' inquired the captain; 'it's too warm to walk.'
'A shay?' suggested Mr. Joseph Tuggs.
'Chaise,' whispered Mr. Cymon.
'I should think one would be enough,' said Mr. Joseph Tuggs aloud, quite unconscious of the meaning of the correction. 'However, two shays if you like.'
'I should like a donkey SO much,' said Belinda.
'Oh, so should I!' echoed Charlotta Tuggs.
'Well, we can have a fly,' suggested the captain, 'and you can have a couple of donkeys.'
A fresh difficulty arose. Mrs. Captain Waters declared it would be decidedly improper for two ladies to ride alone. The remedy was obvious. Perhaps young Mr. Tuggs would be gallant enough to accompany them.
Mr. Cymon Tuggs blushed, smiled, looked vacant, and faintly protested that he was no horseman. The objection was at once overruled. A fly was speedily found; and three