Calidore by Thomas Love Peacock

OUR YOUTH was not unmindful of his engagement, and rising betimes, sent up his compliments to the rector of Bwlchpenbach to know if he was ready to accompany him to the vicarage. The ostler, by dint of knoching a the door and shouting "Ho! ho! ho! your reverence!" succeeded in waking the reluctant rector, and in extracting a response very oracular in its brevity, the purport of which was that he was too queasy to rise. The stranger therefore proceeded to the vicarage without him, where he found the lovely Ellen in the parlour alone, to whom he found himself under the awkward necessity of explaining that he came to breakfast by the vicar's invitation; for the vicar had been carried home in a state of profound sleep, and had continued in the same state sans intermission, so that his family necessarily remained in profound ignorance of his appointment. Ellen ran upstaies and knocked at her father's door to announce the starnger's arrival, but he vicar sympathised in queasiness with his friend the rector, and murmured an injuction to his wife and daughters to do the honours of the house. Miss Ap-Nanny, hearing her sister's communication, skipped down stairs by three steps at a time, determined not to let the stranger escape again without gratifying her curiosity about himself and his baot. Mrs Ap-Nanny, a grave and solemn matron, as silent as her husband, next made her appearance, and the beautiful hands of Ellen prepared the tea.

-"Ellen, my dear," said Miss Ap-Nanny, "perhaps Mr--I beg the gentleman's pardon, I have not the pleasure of knowing his name."