Punch: Punch (101.1891)

256 PUNCH, OB, THE LONDON CHARIVARI. [Novembek 28, 1891.

THE TRAVELLING COMPANIONS.

No. XVI.

Hyp. Certainly not. The whole heauty of the idea lies in the
unselfish and exclusive devotion of every knight to the same
sovereign lady. In this case I happen to know that the—a—indi-
vidual had never met his ideal until-

SCEKE— Terrace and Grounds of the Grand Hotel Villa d'Este, on\ Maud, Until he met you? At Nuremberg, wasn't it? My!
Lake Como. Podbury and Culchard are ivalking up and down what was his name ? Do tell!

together. Hyp. You must not press me, sweetest, for I cannot tell that—

Podbury. Well, old chap, your resigning like that has made all: even to you.
the difference to me, I can tell you! Maud. I don't believe but what I could guess. But say, you

Culchard. If I have succeeded in advancing your cause with Miss didn't care any for hi?n, or you'd never have let him go like that ?
Prendergast, I am all the better pleased, of course. /wouldn't. I should have suspected there was something behind!

Podb. You have, and no mistake. She's regularly taken me in j Hyp. My feelings towards him were purely potential. I did him
hand, don't you know—she says I've no intelligent appreciation of the simple justice to believe that his self-abnegation was sincere. But,
Italian Art; and gad, I believe she's right there ! But I'm pulling with your practical, cynical little mind, darling, you are hardly
up—boundto teach you_ a lot, seeing all the old altar-pieces I do ! capable of—excuse me for saying so—of appreciating the real value
And she gives me the right tips, don't you see ; she's no end of a and meaning of such magnanimity!

clever girl, so well-read and all that! But I say—about Miss Trotter? Maud. Oh, I guess I am, though. Why, here's Mr. Culchard
Don't want to be inquisitive, you know, but you don't seem to be \ coming along. Well, Mr. Culchard ?

much about with her. _ Culch. I—ah—appear to have interrupted a highly interesting

Culch. I—er—the feelings I entertain towards Miss Trotter have ' conversation ?
suffered no change—quite the reverse, Maud. Well, we were having a little

only—and I wish to impress this upon jaa^^r" discussion, and I guess you're in time

you, Podbury—it is undesirable, for— . . fflp^jfcX to give the casting vote—Hypatia, you

er—many reasons, to make my attentions _ W^'IlM want to keep just where you are, do you

—er—too conspicuous. I—I trust you ~l gfc> ^jfflfjl \ hear? I mean you should listen to

have not alluded to the matter to—well, j>? |* Mr. Culchard's opinion,

to Miss Prendergast, for example ? V^lr ffc Culch. {flattered). Which I shall be

Podb. Not I, old fellow—got other pV MS^®A>^ f" delighted to give, if you will put me in

things to talk about. But I don't quite J , g^m^^Wm^s /' possession of the—er—facts,

see why—- 4±A ^W/^^M/MlMr'x Jsoptfrn Maud. Well, these'are the—er—facts.

Culch. You arc not required to sec. M^'f^f^MmmnMl^ $0Wb^'MJ ' \ ' ' \ There were two gentlemen under vow—

I don't wish it, that is all. I—er—think fipl WwSlr^Wwm^mWr>- \ m\ uW!//%'6 ■ ' \ maybe you'11 understand the working of
that should be sufficient. ^^m^mkf^y^9^i\\^^ PwW'r \1l '•/ \ that arrangement better than I do?—

Podb. Oh, aU right, I'll keep dark. WMffll fl^^iii^^MM 1 \ under vow for the same young lady.

But she's bound to know sooner or later, ^"^fli/, mU^im-j i' {X'^Sm/t/'j/iw1 W^p^ \ [Hypatia Prendergast, sit still, or I
now she and Miss Trotter have struck Kmi WMMM^ U (.•/•' •IM* PE^M declare I'll pinch yon)!] One of them

up such a friendship. And Hypatia Mil 'wm^mB.^L^ /^(jMpiV^m^i %<k"^k ) comes up and tells her that he's arrived

will be awfully pleased about it—why Mrm ^mMMmS^^ fflWi 'pMk ?CVw at the conclusion the other admirer is

shouldn't she, you know? ... I'm going ffllltVlmWr Wt W mW^- ""Jgk^S^sfc/ the better man, and, being a friend of

to see if there's anyone on the tennis- |H|| nm^fm§W mW^^'^s^t^^ <l\ Ms, he ought to retire in his favour, and

court, and get a game if I can. Ta-ta! ^w\^WmMm mwr'\ ^\>SMS\ he does it, too, right away. Now I say

Culch. {alone). Podbury knows very %l\hlm\wPjWl f/flHWifl 1 \\\ Troflna l> that isn't natural—he'd some other mo-

little about women. If Hyp — Miss MIM f^^T ' '[\ W&X\ ) tive. Miss Prexdergast here will have

Prendergast—once found out why I IB ! l\ !i ( •■' \ W&XJ it he was one of those noble unselfish

renounced my suitorship, I should have SwftlpV 1 | If ^vl^ natures that deserve they should be

very little_ peace, I know that—I've I mM V\V J i\%Tfil: ; stuffed for a museum. What's your

taken particular care not to betray my V TO mil ' TO n X' \ opinion now?

attachment to Maud. I'm afraid she's ill Ml! vi\\ I ^w*' Culch. {perspiring_ freely). Why—er

beginning to notice it, but I must be Wm I yhV^- —really, on so delicate a matter, I—

careful. I don't like this sudden inti- will! \ '% <J I- [He maunders.

macy between them — it makes things iB \ u\-^^j v^Sh ^yp. Maud, why will you be so head-

so very awkward. They've been sitting «u|J / \ fe-- J V^v^l, strong! {In a rapid whisper.) Can't

under that tree over there for the last ^ml ullfffl ^i^S^t ^ou see • • • can't you guess f . . .

half-hour, and goodness only knows 1| k Wmu ^Bm Maud, I guess I want to make sure

what confidences they may have ex- J; || Hj ^(W Mr. Culchard isn't that kind of mag-

changed^ I really must go up and put Mtis Ik In jffl naMmous man himself. I shouldn't want

a stop to it, presently. mm Ml WM WX\ him to renounce me!

Jm M ) | || HA Hyp. Maud ! You might at least
Under the Tree. 4^ MW fjj| wait until Mr. Culchard has-

Hypatia. I only tell you all this, JlrkpS Maud, Oh, but he did—weeks ago,

sweetest one, because I do think you ^g^ps^ <0 ' J&ill x^g^l at Bingen. Ami at Lugano, too, the

have rather too low an opinion of men as fess^ h \v'T/> -^z*^**^ jEpr other day, he spoke out tolerable plain,

a class, and I wanted to show you that I ^ I guess he didn't wish any secret made

have met at leastpne man who was capable « Bound to teach you a lot, seeing all the old altar-pieces I do !" about it—did you, Mr. Culchard ? _
of a real and disinterested devotion. Culch. I—ah—this conversation is

Maud. Well, I allowed that was about your idea. I rather ... If you '11 excuse me- [Escapes with as much dignity

Hyp. And don't you recognise that it was very fine of Mm to give 1 as he can command. . ....

up everything for his friend's sake ? Maud, Well, my dear,—that's the sort of self-denying hairpin he

Maud. I guess it depends how much " everything " amounted to. is ! What do you think of him nou- ?

Hyp. [annoyed). I thought, darling, I had made it perfectly plain ! Hyp. I do not think so highly of him, I confess. _ His renunciation
what a sacrifice it meant to him. / know how much he—I needn't j was 'evidently less prompted by consideration for his friend than by a
tell you there are certain symptoms one cannot be deceived in. j recollection—tardy enough, I am afraid—of the duty which bound

Maud. No, I guess you needn't tell me that, love. And it was him to you, dearest. But if you had seen and heard him, as I did,
perfectly lovely of him to give you up, when he was under vow for 1 you would not have doubted the reality of the sacrifice, whatever the
you and all, sooner than stand in his friend's light—only I don't just true reason may have been. For myself, I am conscious of neither
see how that was going to help his friend any. | anger nor sorrow—my heart, as I told you, was never really affected.

Hyp. Don't you, dearest ? Not when the friend was under vow But what must it he to you, darling !

for me, too ?

Maud. Well, Hypatia Prexdergast ! And how many admirers
do you have around under vow, as a regrdar thing ?

Hyp. There were only those two. Buskin permits as many as
seven at one time.

Maud. Well-, I believe I'm more amused than anything.
Hyp. Amused! But surely you don't mean to have anything
more to do with him ?

Maud. My dear girl, I intend to have considerable more to do
with him before I'm through. He 's under vow for me now, acy-

Maud, That's a vurry liberal allowance, too, I don't see how : way, and I don't mean he should forget it, either. He's my monkey,
there'd be sufficient suitors to go round. But maybe each gentle- and he's got to jump around pretty lively, at the end of a tolerable
man can be under vow for seven distinct girls, to make things sort j short chain, too. And I guess, if it comes to renouncing, all the
of square now ? | magnanimity 's going to be on my side this time !