Punch (74.1878)

214

PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

[May 11, 1878

131 ,/ A' - '

DILUTION.

CZcZ Zo^2/ (to i!ft<2 nety Rector of Tumipford, Suffolk, whose preaching has been much admired further South). " i was agoin' t* arst

yeaott, SlR, jf i cou'n'r HEY a PeAOUW a litt1e clooser t' the PtTLP t, for THE's mrs. StflTH an' mrs. BrEATTWN, THEy sets

right smack a front o' mae, an1 by the toime yar sarmon come a treaclin' threw them, an' raich mae, that fare such
won'ebfql pore Stuff, that that raly dew ! ! "

After that came a sad, far-away, changeless look in her eyes, and
she wandered in her mind till she was tired. Then she sat down.

She thought of the scented flowers, and she called Strapmore,
who had robbed her of her Peeze, " Carnation cruel! "

The click-clack of her wooden shoes made the people look down
as she passed. They wished to imitate the noise: they would have
taken them off. But she only sighed, and said, " No ; I shall take
myself off now."

Some people said, kindly, "How d'ye do?" Bat she only an-
swered, " What's that to you ? I do as I like."
So she went onward, bewildered, but happy.

The night air came whistling in her ear. That night air she knew
so well by heart, that she could have sung it at any time.

The air went on. Then she thought if she could only have an
accompaniment of some sort, it might be better—she was so lonely.
So she stopped, and played the fool.

At last she stood before the water, green and dark, hy the Lilly
Bridge, with lilies laughing at her, which annoyed her much.

"Everything is hard," she said ; " even the water."

And she thought of the good old Gods Jingo and Jimini, who were
not.yet dead, and of the Fauns, and the Nymphs ; and she saw the
sky, and the stars, and the flowers, and the Man in the Moon, in the
water. And she thought she would like to go to this Man in the
Moon, who had always smiled on her, and who sent shadows to play
and dance with her.

Then the night-chimes from the old steeple rang out, and they
seemed to be saying to her, " De-Lu-na-ti-co in-qui-ren-do-de-Lu-
na-ti-co," and all over again.

" I know what that means! " she murmured to herself, joyfully.
" It means, ' Inquire within of the Man in the Moon.' "

Then she smiled down on him, and he, from the silent water,
smiled up to her.

Then she bent down to kiss him, lower, lower, lower-

* * * * * #

The next morning the moon had disappeared, and Itti Dtjffa too.
And on the tops of two reeds, in the centre of the water, that bent

under the weight, were two little wooden shoes, and on the soles
was written— This side up. With care."
" With care " ! It told the whole tale.

Joe and Pantaleone and the old man at the finger-stall, attended
her funeral; and, on her tombstone, by the pond's side, among the bend-
ing reeds and the sweet flowers she had loved so well, was inscribed,

GOODY TWO-SHOES,

ITTI DUFFA,

The ill-starred Maid who lost her one life in this Pool.
******

The Fair was open next day, out of respect to the hapless girl,
and around the chief booth, where a stupendous Fat Man from
England was being exhibited, the peasants congregated.

Their entire conversation was about Itti Duffa, who had married
Pinto Peeze, the unhappy nobleman who had been killed by a
wicked English Lord.

Then the stupendous Fat Man wept bitterly.

The peasants said he had a gentle heart. They did not know it
was conscience that was gnawing on the vitals of that Fat Man's
existence. He longed to declare himself. He longed to say, '11
am Strapmore ! Who killed Pinto Peeze ? I, said Strapmore ! "
and so he went on. But grief only fattened him, and he became
more and more valuable to the Proprietors.

" When I look round—and no one can look rounder than I do—
what do I see ? Misery everywhere."

Then he looked at the window.

" Ah," he sighed, " if I could but escape I "

It overlooked the river. His still' active brain devised a plan.
At the expense of the delighted caravan Proprietors he ordered an
enormous supper. He supped alone, at the dead of night, before
the open window, and nerving himself for a supreme effort, he
gradually blew himself out.

The next morning, rewards were offered everywhere, unsuccess-
fully. Strapmore had disappeared.