Punch (78.1880)

AN APRIL SHOWER;

Ob, it neves Rains but it Pours.

FLUTTERING A DOVE-COT.

(An incident from the Diary of a Convalescent, told in a few Chap-
ters properly belonging to the Series usually headed “Friends
at a Distance,” which has appeared from time to time in these
pages.)

CHAPTER IY.

Flutter and Finish.

We all appear in. evening dress—Ladies, too; and we find Dice:
Boilingbrook in the drawing-room, waiting to receive us ! He has
heen there a quarter of an hour.

“ I came.in at seven,” he says in explanation. “ I was told that
was your dinner-hour.” Here he refers to me, and I corroborate the
statement. The Squire apologises for his want of punctuality hy
saying that he thought Mr. Boilingbrook had so far to go, and to
return, and to dress, &c., &c.

“Oh!” laughs Mr. Boilingbrook, “it doesn’t take me two
j minutes to jump into my clothes. They’re like the trick-dress of
| an entertainer—on in a jiffey, and out as somebody else.”

We all laugh; and after this there might have heen an awkward
pause, which some one, on any ordinary occasion, would have broken
by hazarding a mild observation on the weather ; hut Mr. Richard
Boiling brook suddenly produces all the papers he has brought from
town, including the “ illustrated comics” up to the latest date, and
distributes them to the company. “I thought you’d like to see
’em, he remarks, in a good-humoured tone, as though he were
treating a lot of children to picture-books ; and we, who could and
would have waited for them another month, and even, then would
have been entirely indifferent on the subject, thank him, examine
them, dive into them, and so wile away the mauvais quart d'heure
before dinner is announced, when we put them down anyhow and
anywhere, and troop into the dining-room.

At dinner Mr. Richard is very polite, very entertaining, and