"You won't take the money he offered you?" "You won't let him off his bargain, though you know you cheated him when you made him sign the paper?" "Impudence. Policemen, remove this woman!" cries Gruffanuff. And the policemen were rushing forward, but with a wave of her wand the Fairy struck them all like so many statues in their places. "You won't take anything in exchange for your bond, Mrs. Gruffanuff," cries the Fairy, with awful severity. "I speak for the last time." "No!" shrieks Gruffanuff, stamping with her foot. "I'll have my husband, my husband, my husband!" "You SHALL HAVE YOUR HUSBAND!" the Fairy Blackstick cried; and advancing a step, laid her hand upon the nose of the KNOCKER. As she touched it, the brass nose seemed to elongate, the open mouth opened still wider, and uttered a roar which made everybody start. The eyes rolled wildly; the arms and legs uncurled themselves, writhed about, and seemed to lengthen with each twist; the knocker expanded into a figure in yellow livery, six feet high; the screws by which it was fixed to the door unloosed themselves, and JENKINS GRUFFANUFF once more trod the threshold off which he had been lifted more than twenty years ago! "Master's not at home," says Jenkins, just in his old voice; and Mrs. Jenkins, giving a dreadful youp, fell down in a fit, in which nobody minded her. For everybody was shouting, "Huzzay! huzzay!" "Hip, hip, hurray!" "Long live the King and Queen!" "Were such things ever seen?" "No, never, never, never!" "The Fairy Blackstick for ever!" The bells were ringing double peals, the guns roaring and -banging most prodigiously. Bulbo was embracing everybody; the Lord Chancellor was flinging up his wig and shouting like a madman; Hedzoff had got the Archbishop round the waist, and they were dancing a jig for joy; and as for Giglio, I leave you to imagine what MERRY CHRISTMAS, GOOD MY FRIENDS. he was doing, and if he kissed Rosalba once, twice-twenty thousand times, I'm sure I don't think he was wrong. So Gruffanuff opened the hall door with a low bow, just as he had been accustomed to do, and they all went in and signed the book, and then they went to church and were married, and the Fairy Blackstick sailed away on her cane, and was never more heard of in Paflagonia. AND HERE ENDS THE FIRESIDE PANTOMIME. LONDON PRINTED BY SPOTTISWOODE AND CO., NEW-STREET SQUARE AND PARLIAMENT STREET W. M. THACKERAY'S WORKS. NEW STANDARD' EDITION. To be completed in 26 vols. large 8vo. 10s. 6d. each. This Edition will contain some of Mr. Thackeray's writings not before collected, with many additional Illustrations. Several Volumes have already been issued, and a Volume will be published on the 1st of each succeeding month until the conclusion of the Series. THE ÉDITION DE LUXE. Twenty-four Volumes, imperial 8vo. Containing 248 Steel Engravings, 1,473 Wood Engravings, and 88 Coloured Illustrations. The steel and wood engravings are all printed on real China paper. The NUMBER of COPIES PRINTED is LIMITED to ONE THOUSAND, each copy being numbered. The Work can only be obtained through Booksellers, who will furnish information regarding terms, &c. THE LIBRARY EDITION. With Illustrations by the Author, RICHARD DOYLE, and FREDERICK WALKER. Twenty-two Volumes, large crown 8vo. handsomely bound in cloth, price £8. 5s.; or half-russia, marbled edges, £12. 12s. The Volumes are sold separately, in cloth, price 7s. 6d. each. THE POPULAR EDITION. 12 vols. crown 8vo. with Frontispiece to each volume, scarlet cloth, gilt top, price £3; and in half-morocco, price £5. 58. The Volumes are sold separately, in green cloth, price 5s, each. CHEAPER ILLUSTRATED EDITION. In Twenty-four Volumes, crown 8vo. price 3s. 6d. each. In Sets of Twenty-four Volumes uniformly bound in cloth, price £4. 48.; or handsomely bound in half-morocco, price £8. Containing nearly all the small Woodcut Illustrations of the former Editions and many New Illustrations by Eminent Artists. THIS EDITION CONTAINS ALTOGETHER 1,626 ILLUSTRATIONS By the AUTHOR; LUKE FILDES, A.R.A.; Mrs. BUTLER (Miss Elizabeth Thompson); GEORGE DU MAURIER; RICHARD DOYLE; FREDERICK WALKER, A.R.A.; GEORGE CRUIKSHANK; JOHN LEECH; FRANK DICKSEE; LINLEY SAMBOURNE; F. BARNARD; E. J. WHEELER; F. A. FRASER; CHARLES KEENE; R. B. WALLACE; J. P. ATKINSON; W. J. WEBB; T. R. MACQUOID; M. FITZGERALD; W. RALSTON; JOHN COLLIER; H. FURNISS; G. G. KILBURNE, &c., &c., &c. BALLADS. By WILLIAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY. With a Por trait of the Author, and 56 Illustrations by the Author; Mrs. BUTLER (Miss Elizabeth Thompson); GEORGE DU MAURIER; JOHN COLLIER; H. FURNISS; G. G. KILBURNE; M. FITZGERALD; and J. P. ATKINSON. Printed on toned paper by Clay, Sons, & Taylor; and elegantly bound in cloth, gilt edges, by Burn. Small 4to. 16s. W. M. THACKERAY'S SKETCHES. THE ORPHAN OF PIMLICO, and other Sketches, Fragments, and Drawings. By WILLIAM MAKEPEACE THACKERAY. Copied by a process that gives a faithful reproduction of the originals. With a Preface and Editorial Notes by Miss Thackeray. A New Edition, in a new style of binding, bevelled boards, gilt edges, royal 4to. price One Guinea. London: SMITH, ELDER, & CO., 15 Waterloo Place. |