Punch (74.1878)

March 23, 1878.] PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

129

STRAPMORE!

a komance

BY

W E E D E R.

Author of Folly and Farini, Under Two Hags, Arryadnly, Chuck, Two Little Wooden Jews, Nicotine, A Horse with Glanders, In Somers Town,

Shamdross, t&c, &c.

Chapter IV.—En Route pour Boheme.

j n^s^ Hfe, I wo women of dazzling brilliance sat in a carriage,

' /^llllillk spectators of Sweetie's fall.

-—.--. /Ijjllpi^__j_______ \__■^^"Tr^^^C "Who's that?" asked the Loo-Loo of her

— • " / • /dllllll^ .^P" j ^^V/^^lll^ companion the Do-Do, in whose elegant minia-

// ture carte de visite, with its red ribands, yellow

~4^^^^^^^^^^v <2NlL^il> ' reins, and yellow harness, she had come to see

Jllilr^^T show. The Loo-Loo was a fresh importa-

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^v^b xS^li tion that season, and had only recently appeared

^^^^^^^^^^^feft^^^^^^^^i // in The Light Gazelle Ballet on the boards of

/Iliili?""'' '^^^^^^^^^%\^^r / the Royal Propriety Theatre.

^^^^»^r=::^^>^^^^^^8^^^^\\ "Not know him?" returned the more ex-

C-^EPllB^^^lfe^ "^^^ perienced Do-Do, who began to be already a

^TT ^llsPiPy Ifnifl trifle jealous of her new friend's undeniable

•sl J^illlll 4? attractions. "Why, bless you, he's no end of a swell!

^^v^ ^sl^illMlls- ^J^^~ Rich as old "Water Creases himself, and proud as a Lucifer
^^^•^^^S^^^^y; !^$fl|PP? that strikes on his own private box," and the riante and
Ij^^g^g^^^^^^'^Hj^MHK^/- • beautiful young tragedienne laughed aloud, as the crowd
111^^fll^^^SSSH^^^^^:' echoed her mirth, and, recognising her, gave her a perfect
^E^J^JIeB ^^^^spSS===^**^ ovation, aux ceufs ft aux duds.

f|ff§§^*HKlsSB^^\ "Qnite a reception! Wish there was music, and lime-

^^^fe^*^^^^^^^, lights, and bouquets ! " she exclaimed, in high glee, as she threw herself
rlfla into one. of her best-known attitudes, in which she had been photo-

^ f| ^^^^^P^ graphed a thousand times, and sang the first line of one of her most
JllSlilffy popular songs. The crowd went into frenzied transports. They thought
c - Jhey were having a performance for nothing. But the Do-Do knew

>^^rfy what she was about. It was only an advertisement; for, in another

D q^t8l^ second, the two neat little Tigers, who were perched up behind, had

1 <|1||||§? descended, and were distributing bills of the Do-Do's Benefit for that day week,
vlB^ among the crowd.
* vlr " Always an eye to business, ma mignonne" she said to the Loo-Loo, as they drove

^V^- . off at a rapid pace, bowing and smiling to the people, through whose ranks a way
; was quickly cleared for her carriage by obsequious policemen.

I ||| "Bat his name ? You didn't tell me his name?" said the Loo-Loo, who was tired

5 H] fife of a performance in which she had played so very second-rate a part.
-""SlliilllR " name ? " repeated the Do-Do, giving her Maltese toy lapdog a hard slap on

-~— -*=— ~ ^BH* " ^^8^ the head for venturing to yawn. " His name ? Oh, you mean the big fellow's with

-___ tiddy waist, eh ? Well, the man whom he picked up was Pinto Peeze, of the White

-4k ^--^^i^ Guards. They call him Sweetie-"

htx\ " Yes, yes, I know that" interrupted her friend, impatiently.

* \ The Do-Do shot a jealous glance at her out of the corner of her beaux yeux daintily outlined with

'v"Es—" the best bouchon brule that money could procure. "So, Loo-Loo knew Sweetie, did she? Very

good," she thought; but she only answered carelessly, "And the big chap who picked him up, le
geant des giants, is Strapmore."
" StrapmoreI " exclaimed the Loo-Loo. " What! not Viscount Strapmore, him as were the Lord Buklyn de Wescott ? "
" Yes. Lui-meme ; pas de betise. You know him ? "

But no answer came from herfcompanion. A perceptible shiver ran through that frail form, her mouth trembled convulsively, and
with a cry that rang through the Palace Yard, and found its echo in the very centre of the gilded saloons of the Aristocratic Aluminium
Club, the fair girl fell fainting on the carriage-rug.

The Household Troops, as the carriage passed along their ranks with its lifeless burden, saluted, and lowered their arms in tender
reverence, and placed their forefingers respectfully to their noses, until it was out of sight.

So the Do-Do sat by the side of her inanimate friend. The wind blew fiercely in her teeth as they sped onward towards Bohemia;
the dust was in her eyes and.hair; the way was long and weary, as she watched for the waking of her unconscious companion, and
burned to question her about. Straphobe.

" Mystere ! " she muttered, between her teeth. " But I will know it." Then she bent forwards towards the coachman.

" Drive," she hissed in his ear, " drive to the Cottage where the Swiss people dwell." The servant touched his cockade. "We are
in Bohemia now," she said^to herself, as a smile of triumph played over her upturned features, and a very night-light of vengeance
illumined her almost childish countenance, as it momentarily flickered in those liquid sorceress-like eyes. " I will see the Gipsy. Cette
fille Bohemienne ! She will be in the tent, or the Cottage ; at all events Carl will tell me where Rosa is to be found. Quick I Quick! "

Thus adjured, the obedient coachman produced a second whip, and urged the thoroughbred Arab, the gift of his Grace the Duke of
Bedouin, into a gallop. They were leaving the lamps of the town far behind them, like so many goblin glow-worms in the gloaming,
and the deep, mysterious shadows of night were gathering round them, as they crossed the borders of the dark Wood of St. John.

Suddenly the horse was thrown on its haunches with a violent shock accompanied by the tinkling of bells.

The Do-Do recognised the sound. " Qui va Id f " she cried.

And the answer came back, in the low Zlang dialect, " 'Tzme ! Tipiti Wicheeta the Gipsy! Watjer liddul gayme f "

Chapter V.—" Sum menare neri hcerem ! Justa fumum."

Within an hour Pinto had come, refreshed, out of his bath of luxurious eau des Carmes, and having been sprinkled all over with
Poudre de Seidlitz, he lay stretched at full length on a luxurious divan in the Albany Aluminium Club, lazily inhaling the fragrant fumes of
a scented cheroot between les petits morceaux d'un gateau du bain, while he carelessly emptied the boiling the aux balais de bouleau out
of the Grecian cup with its rare Delphi handle, into the enamelled soucoupe, and, with that insouciance and real savoir faire pi his
Order, which never forsook him, slightly bending his Apollo-like head, while making a petite moue of his aristocratic lips, he rippled
the steaming liquid with his fragrant breath, pour faire adoucir la chaleur.

The spacious easy chamber, furnished with every conceivable chair, sofa, and divan that the luxurious art of East and West
could devise for the comfort of the fumeurs, was just now tenanted by a score of men in every imaginable costume—from robes de
chambre en papillotes to cosaques de nuit and papooshes,—all soufflant une nuage, with every variety of tobacco that money could command,