{"id":"01KG8AKPBC2MGJDZBEHPDHDT70","cid":"bafkreigt3uoqfbrzcp4k2e577xcxrs56l2o3ucnto5vc75catvvisgryee","type":"chunk","properties":{"end_line":3434,"extracted_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:09.927Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"Chunk 1","source_file":"01KG89J1954N2G0NAERBNJXEX9","start_line":3362,"text":"CHAPTER XXVI.\r\nA Reception-Day At Pimminee\r\n\r\n\r\nNext morning, Nimni apprized us, that throughout the day he proposed\r\nkeeping open house, for the purpose of enabling us to behold whatever\r\nof beauty, rank, and fashion, Pimminee could boast; including certain\r\nstrangers of note from various quarters of the lagoon, who doubtless\r\nwould honor themselves with a call.\r\n\r\nAs inmates of the mansion, we unexpectedly had a rare opportunity of\r\nwitnessing the final toilets of the Begum and her daughters,\r\npreparatory to receiving their guests.\r\n\r\nTheir four farthingales were placed standing in the middle of the\r\ndwelling; when their future inmates, arrayed in rudimental vestments,\r\nwent round and round them, attaching various articles of finery, dyed\r\nscarfs, ivory trinkets, and other decorations. Upon the propriety of\r\nthis or that adornment, the three Vowels now and then pondered apart,\r\nor together consulted. They talked and they laughed; they were silent\r\nand sad; now merry at their bravery; now pensive at the thought of the\r\ncharms to be hidden.\r\n\r\nIt was O who presently suggested the expediency of an artful fold in\r\ntheir draperies, by the merest accident in Mardi, to reveal a\r\ntantalizing glimpse of their ankles, which were thought to be pretty.\r\n\r\nBut the old Begum was more active than any; by far the most\r\ndisinterested in the matter of advice. Her great object seemed to be to\r\npile on the finery at all hazards; and she pointed out many as yet\r\nvacant and unappropriated spaces, highly susceptible of adornment.\r\n\r\nAt last, all was in readiness; when, taking a valedictory glance, at\r\ntheir intrenchments, the Begum and damsels simultaneously dipped their\r\nheads, directly after emerging from the summit, all ready for\r\nexecution.\r\n\r\nAnd now to describe the general reception that followed. In came the\r\nRoes, the Fees, the Lol-Lols, the Hummee-Hums, the Bidi-Bidies, and the\r\nDedidums; the Peenees, the Yamoyamees, the Karkies, the Fanfums, the\r\nDiddledees, and the Fiddlefies; in a word, all the aristocracy of\r\nPimminee; people with exceedingly short names; and some all name, and\r\nnothing else. It was an imposing array of sounds; a circulation of\r\nciphers; a marshaling of tappas; a getting together of grimaces and\r\nfurbelows; a masquerade of vapidities.\r\n\r\nAmong the crowd was a bustling somebody, one Gaddi, arrayed in much\r\napparel to little purpose; who, singling out Babbalanja, for some time\r\nadhered to his side, and with excessive complaisance, enlightened him\r\nas to the people assembled.\r\n\r\n“_That_ is rich Marmonora, accounted a mighty man in Pimminee; his bags\r\nof teeth included, he is said to weigh upwards of fourteen stone; and\r\nis much sought after by tailors for his measure, being but slender in\r\nthe region of the heart. His riches are great. And that old vrow is the\r\nwidow Roo; very rich; plenty of teeth; but has none in her head. And\r\n_this_ is Finfi; said to be not very rich, and a maid. Who would\r\nsuppose she had ever beat tappa for a living?”\r\n\r\nAnd so saying, Gaddi sauntered off; his place by Babbalanja’s side\r\nbeing immediately supplied by the damsel Finfi. That vivacious and\r\namiable nymph at once proceeded to point out the company, where Gaddi\r\nhad left off; beginning with Gaddi himself, who, she insinuated, was a\r\nmere parvenu, a terrible infliction upon society, and not near so rich\r\nas he was imagined to be.\r\n\r\nSoon we were accosted by one Nonno, a sour, saturnine personage. “I\r\nknow nobody here; not a soul have I seen before; I wonder who they all\r\nare.” And just then he was familiarly nodded to by nine worthies\r\nabreast. Whereupon Nonno vanished. But after going the rounds of the\r\ncompany, and paying court to many, he again sauntered by Babbalanja,\r\nsaying, “Nobody, nobody; nobody but nobodies; I see nobody I know.”\r\n\r","title":"Chunk 1"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KG8AJQTD1YJ2CS14R0T40VSJ","peer_type":"chapter","predicate":"in"},{"peer":"01KG89J1954N2G0NAERBNJXEX9","peer_type":"file","predicate":"extractedFrom"},{"peer":"01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KG8AKPBC8MVNZDQENMAQVFT0","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"next"}],"ver":2,"created_at":"2026-01-30T20:48:12.652Z","ts":"2026-01-30T20:48:21.421Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF0H3YRP9ZSM033AM0QJ47H"}}