Punch: Punch (101.1891)

280

PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

[December 12, 1891.

THE TRAVELLING COMPANIONS. Miss P. (as she perceives Mss T^'and her companion). Now,

No. XVIII. Bon, pray remember all I've told yoti! [Bob turns away, petulantly.

„ _,7 „ „ ' , 7 ' „ , , 7 Miss T. (aside, to Yah B.). I guess the air's got cooler up here,

ScENjr-The roof of Milan Cathedral; the innumerable-statues and Charley. But if that girl imagines she's going to freeze me!
fretted pinnacles show in dazzling relief against the intense blue (Advancing to Miss P.) Why, my dear, it's almost too sweet for
sky. lhrough the open-work oj the parapet is seen the vast anything ineetin0-you a°-ain !

Piazza, icithits yellow toy tram-cars and the small crawling ' Miss P. You're "extremely kind, Maud; I wish I could return

figures which cast inordinately long shadows. All around is a the compiiment; but really, after what took place at BeUagio, I-

maze of pale brown roofs, and beyond, the green plain blending Miss T faUna her arm). Well, I'll own up to being pretty
on the horizon with dove-coloured clouds in a quivering violet b_orrid—and so were vou; but there don't seem any sense in our
haze CuLCHAEB is sitting by a small doorway at the foot of a meeting up here ^ a couple of strange cats on tiles. I won't fly
flight oj steps leading to the bpirc. ou£ anv morG; there ! I'm just dying for a reconciliation ; and so

Culchard (meditating). I think Maud must have seen from the tone is Mr. Van" Boodeler. The trouble I've had to console that man !
in which I said I preferred to remain below, that I object to that He never met anybody before haff so interested in the great Amurr-
cousin of hers perpetually coming about with us as he does. She's can Novel. And he's wearying for another talk. So you'd better
far too indulgent to him—a posing, affected prie, always talking give that hatchet a handsome funeral, and come along and take pity
about the wonderful things he's going to write! He had the impu- on him.

dence to tell me I didn't know the most elementary laws of the sonnet [Htp., after a struggle, yields, half-reluctantly, and allows
this morning! Withering repartee herself'tobe taken across fr>Mr. Vast
seems to have no effect whatever on /,'/ f . „ B., who greets her effusively. Miss

him, I wish I had some of Podbury's Wftfpte'' leaves them together.

faculty for flippant chaff! I wonder ,y. ^SE&SSlfr-- P- (who has been prudently

if he and the Prendergasts reaUy are ^ggk—, ^SBStW^SM keeping in the background till note,

at Milan. I certainly thought 1 recog- ' tMb^'-~ -<P^ decides that his chance has come). How

nised-• If they are, it's very bad /Bsflllf ^W'^/^T do you do, Miss Tbotteb ? It's

taste of them, after the pointed way 'W'^ii1? -W] awfully jolly to meet you again like

in which they left BeUagio. I only \ ^Jfe^ this!

hope we shan't- yj^^rT^^''--- ^^iB^fe^-.- Miss. T. Well, I guess that remark

[Here the figure of Miss Prexdeegast f{ Ji- V ■'yW^^nBSSBSi' would have been more convincing if

suddenly emerges from the door ; \ \m <£<m \\ -^m^^^^^^A you'd made it a few minutes earlier.

Culchaed rises and stands aside / \ \\J ■' \\\-' P^^5^fi^/^^^Vi f\ Bob. I—I—you see, I didn't know...

to let her pass; she returns his /! Af f '-V'.'^Vj \ ''yjM^iHji m^lf^fHR I was afraid—I rather thought-

salutation distantly, and passes on I \^ °I-Jj J Jfl Wji''\Smm\j^^^ Miss T. You don't get much further

ivith her chin in the air; her /y^'-^>^W4"^i^' mfltt\i »-M|fl^^q> ^'ith rather thinking, as a general

brother follows, with a side-jerk ■ 0*/ /CC ' ") ■ T( IJf §$Jji$g*' JiffiKiW rule, than if you didn't think at all.

of recognition. Podbury comes ' ''uf^^i^fil^ WwfiM'ffl ^fPltkVl But if you're at all anxious to run

last, and halts undecidedly. ' ' tim^-^'^mf\ ¥: ;//*# I T'4^! away the way you did at BeUagio, you

Podb.(with a rather awkward laugh). ','4mw ffyf k jlB&l'Jty / j -^m needn't be afraid I'll binder you.

Here we are again, eh ? (looks after ^^4// W. jmpjjin hfL^r, >'Jffl Bob. (earnestly). Runaway! Do

Miss P., hesitates, and finally sits down -4-":, • , ;i '< *M jmki llyj-l If^^juF \ you think I'd have gone if—I've felt

by Culchaed.) Where's the fascina- ^ij^rlwS ' JL ••/ vm iWil/mMt^^^n^^ f dull enough ever since, without that!

tin<r Miss Trotter:- How do vou come ' :<^JWm ■ .ffyffl ' ' IP mP /wlfflriw^^BP* I Miss T. Oh, I expect you've had a

to be off duty like this? •//' M ' ' iSml ffwlm^W^h beautiful time. We have.

Culch. (stiffly). The fascinating Miss ■ /.■ M I IPPIMIIMfll JIiss P' (comi»!> Bobeet, I

Trotter is up above with Vax Boode- j ; J. ffjj .: 1 mmM9 t^^^W^ii^ thought you wanted to see the Alps ?

ler, so mv services are not required. / /MWmk • uH'' I fm^fHw^ You should come over to the other

Podb. Up above? And Hypatia • ;;;:;\ <9{!*l M WMti ml' side, and

jusi gone up with Bob! Whew, lfMt^nvf. I\ SMwI^ 'wa ^^PW i»l Miss T. I 'U undertake that he sees

there'U be ructions presently! Well '/^^^K J F Wr^JwM ''/nMrafllii^^^ ffi' tile Alps, darling, presently — when

out of it, you and I! So it's Boode- ^^tsf^iPfl IVl Ji \ mlwMPM'Ww'1"^^ we're through our talk.

lee's turn now? That's rough on /YS(W\ \ il' %AmMWWi xlWmWm* Ml'ss r- As v"u Please- dear- But

you—after Hypatia had whistled poor 1 \WM' /IJiWIIW! (pointedly) did I not see Mr. Oul-

old Bob off. As much out in the cold j/ff& ImM^^xM) W^4-l Wt\. chard below ?

as ever, eh ? Jj ^ ^v- *m L Ifflm'i^mfm-1'': IHp^^l'Mi T. You don't mean to say

Culch. I am nothing of the kind. - "—\ > Ml 1 lliW/|f'Iwij1' I mWl^il Wfi you're wearied of Mr. Van Boodelee
I find him distasteful to me, and avoid - h^M U|K;:;M 'jJBiffllr already! Well, Mr. Culchard will

him as much as I can, that's all. I " t-< <^M0^^ ^Esmr$h :;: life^M be along soon, and I'll loan him to

wish, Podbury, er—I almost wish you ' - " ' • J^jgp) •', ifi1'' 'r you' 1 'U to11 him t011 'r.e vurry

could have stayed with me, instead of ^4ISttHMSnfililffi n^EE-"^^-- anxi°'us T0 converse with him some

allowing the Prendeegasts to carry ^^SWmm^S^^^^^^5 more. He's just coming along now.

vou off as you did. You would have s»saai^p^gp ^ with Mr. Podbury and Poppa,

kept YAM Boodeler in order. wg^ passes on ]1CT ;n ^ ^ j » JiVss P. (under her breath). Maud !

Podb. Much obliged, old chap ; but if you dare-—/

I'm otherwise engaged. Being kept in order myself. Oh, I like it, 3Iiss T. Don't you dare me, then—or you'U see. But I don't want
you know. She's developing my mind like winking. Spent the to be mean unless I 'm obliged to.

whole morning at the Brera, mugging up these old Italian Johnnies. ; [Mr. Trotter, followed by Culchard and Podbury, arrives at
They reaUy are clinkers, you know. Raphael, eh ?—and Giotto,; the upper platform. Culchaed and Podbury efface them-

and Mantegna, and all that lot. As Hypatia says, for intensity of selves as much as possible. Mr. Trotter greets Miss

—er—religious feeling, and—and subtlety of symbolism, and—and : Prendeegast heartily.

so on, they simply take the cake—romp in, and the rest nowhere ! Mr. T. Well now, I call this sociable, meeting all together again
I'm getting quite the connoisseur, I can tell you ! like this. I don't see why in the land we didn't keep together. I've

Culch. Evidently. I suppose there's no chance of a—a reconcilia- been saying so to my darter here, ever since BeUagio—ain't that so,
tion up there ? [ With some alarm. Maud ? And she didn't know just how it came about either.

Podb. Don't you be afraid. When Hypatia once gets her quills Miss P. (hurriedly). We—we had to be getting on. And I am
up, they don't subside so easily ! Hallo! isn't this old Trotter ? afraid we must say good-bye now, Mr. Trotter. I want Bob and

[That gentleman appears in the doorway. Mr. Podbury to see the Da" Yinci fresco, you know, before the light

Mr. T. Why, Mr. Podbury, so you've come along here ? That's goes. (Bob mutters a highly disrespectful wish concerning that work
right ! And how do you like MUan ? I like the place first-rate— of Art.) We may see vou again, before we leave for Yerona.
it's a live city, Sir. And I Uke this old cathedral, too; it'sweU 3Ir. T. Verona? Well, I don't care if I see Yerona myself,
constructed—they've laid out money on it. I caU it real orna- Seems a pity to separate now we have met, donH it ? See here, now,
mental, all these Uttle figgers they've stuck around—and not two we 'U all go along to Yerona together—how's that, Maud? Start
of 'em a pair either. Now, they might have had 'em all alike, and whenever you feel like it, Miss Prendeegast. How does that pro-
no one any the wiser up so high as this ; but it certainly gives it posal strike you ? I '11 be real hurt if you cann't take to my idea,
more variety, too, having them different. Well, I'm going up as Miss T. The fact is, Poppa, Hypatia isn't just sure that Mr.
high as ever I can go. ion two better come along up with me. Preistdergast wouldn't object.