Punch: Punch (101.1891)

304 PUNCH, OB, THE LONDON CHARIVARI. [December 26, 1891.

THE TRAVELLING COMPANIONS.

mosquitoes. {The pastille fizzes, and begins to emit a dense white
smoke, and a suffocating odour.)
No. XX. Podb. (bounding). Mosquitoes! It "would drive a dragon out.

. . . i Phew—ah! (Cuxchaed closes the window.) You don't mean to sav

Scejte— The interior of a covered gondola, which is conveymg VOu're going to shut me up in this infernal reek on a stifling night
Ccxchard and Podbtjrt from the Railway Station to the Hotel p

Dandoh, Venice. The gondola is gliding with a gentle sidelong Culch. If I didn't, the mosquitoes would come in again.
heave under shadowy bridges of stone and cast-iron, round sharp poa]0t Come ^p Witb that pastille doing the young Vesuvius!
corners, and past mysterious blank walls, and old scroll-work Z)0 you think a mosquito's a born fool ? {He jumps out and opens
gateways, which look ghostly in the moonlight. tne ivindoto.) I'm not going to be smoked like a wasps' nest, Jean

Culch. {looking out of the felze window, and quoting conscien tiously), tell you !

T . , . Culch. {calmly shutting it aqain, as Podbuey returns to bed).

I saw from out the wave her structures rise, y ,R b tefuj to me byand:by.

As from the stroke of the enchanter s wand." rct7- s , i- J r™ J. ■ , 7

loltps beticeen his mosquito-curtains in a gingerly manner, and

Podb. For rest, see guide-books, passim, eh ? Hanged if I can see switches off the electric light. A silence.

any structures with this thing on, though! Let's have it oft", eh? j Podb. I say, you ain't^asleep, are you? Think "we shall see any-

{He crawls out and addresses Gondolier across the top.) Hi! Otez-moi thing of them to-morrow, eh?

ceci, entendez-vous ? {Drums on roof of felze with fists ; the Culch. See ? I can hear one singing in my ear at this moment.

Gondolier replies in {Irritably.)Youicould

a torrent of Italian.) v ^-fS^SS^^" open the window!

Now a London cabby « , . , Tm%'' 'Jf! ; - 'fipFllP^"'' Podb.[sleepily). Not

would see what I ' , If/, I hitkii,/ ,{j _gji jn[m i/'taiil^. »<? .. TOffiP^ mosquitoes. I meant

wanted at once. This J §;>.,/' i >|; , jjI'fM (l^lr i| li Iw^^^AfRr •. Jhx '6 R^y- Hypatia, and the—

chap's a fool! ' 1 f : > PlIM ulff " haw - yaw - Tbot-

cW. He probably I'| f fi M Ifwffl / tees.

imagines vou are < Mfl j |« I1' |1^frw4ryffl4fe^ wfiSSw^-*- ^' li K!Mll®^^-fv?rijf! III'""'It' - V CWcA. How can J

merely expressing !W1ll I» i teU? {Secondsilence.]

your satisfaction witn if 4 ' I P-l l-Sflld1 'i| J If I ,fcl|;^H^^a^W^M^^',' • !i: Podbuey! What did

Venice. And I don't fi |ii |||M|wffi fv!\ I tell yon? One's just

see how you expect j jj lu ^^^^g wl^^^^^^^^^^^^i^^fflBl^^r^^^^^^^^^^^^^r^^ bitten me—the beast.'

him to remove the \j}\:MaJDSSjgj rfflfmiPfa^^^ ^ turns on the

entire cabin here! j 11 n/,]i^jsC^I^^^ ^Pwlffiilrali^^ light, and slaps about

(PoDBUEi crawls in j ^if^^^aBlffl HBHHH ^^mWlSWf^^^^^aKtL^M^"^ 1' "T~^*T^^^^' ^6 frantically). I say, I

again, knocking his ''^W!§^^^S^''x'\^B^^^ l^ '^fff/Mml^^^^iBt^fflHBmMll' " -•••'^^^fe' •] 'c can hear him buzzing

head.) I think we ^j^jSy^i"^'n^llqffi't^i B^IBBHHI ftflB»flfllft£ -^JBPWB HHS' I -4£^BlB'i/i all over the place!

did well to let the- fPSSiifflI" fK^4(4P^liBHBw I * «»'E ' Podb. So can I hear

the others travel on i'l'V'f^ R rSli!' Vou buzzing. How

first. More dignified, ['W^^^B^^mM^M^^^^^^B'^ & 'tfSKBH' the dickens is a fellow

you know! >f 'MLijPl^ to eet to sleep while

Podb. Urn —don't - JfillllsBBP^ i you're playing Punch

see any particular ' ^^j^^(S^^^^i^.K^^^^^^^^^SS^i-r',' ^ffi] w 'jJJBaBjfft. ^v.-v^|^^^^i:i and Judy in there ?

dignity m missing the llil^^BB^^^^fflK^i^^^^^^^^^^^^^"^" Iff lf^^^'h"^*^^^H^ffl' Culch. He's got me

train, myself! —- ■rPNrrlP- ~ -1'7^v^^^P'' on the nose now!

Culch. They won't --^^mIIM There's a lot outside,

know it was not in- ^^^PSB^^BHBlV^llin^S^raHHB9flS^k^^^^^^^^^y - "''^mj Just turn off the light,

tentional. And I ^jHHHHlt ' ■ " HIllRHiHHHHi^^^SF ' ;i;'>' ~ will you ? I daren't

think, PoDBUur, we :^^IH^iH|^ll^j^i(|HHl / ; put my arm out. {To

should go on—er— "^^^M^^^^M^^^S^B^^^M^^^B^^^Bk^^^BS^^^S^ — / Mosquito,) You

asserting ourselves a ;^^^M^^^B^||^B^^mm|P^ ■—7' brute! {To Podb.)

little while by holding- ^S^^^^MSB^m^^'^^m^^^^$^^^^fP^WlPMT'^^V^^^ " PoDBtTEY, do switch

rather aloof. It will .-T'^^^lPpM .: / off the light—like a

show them that we '^^^^^^^^S^m^^^^r^S^^^^^^^wl^^^^^^^^^^^^' '' ' g ood follow.'

don't mean to put up "^^^^^ffll^^^^^^^^raw^ Podb. {dreamily).

with-- ■ - ■ Glass up, Gondolier

Podb. Don't see N. ^^^^^^'■l^^^^^^^^^l^BBKSS^^^.^^^^^^~: " v / • ■ • Stirling in this

that either. Not go- ^^^^^^^^^^^^I^S^z^SB^S^S^^^^^^^^^^'^' ' f^~ssp«s=- cab . . . drive me . . .

ing to let that beast, l^fejgg^^ - -s^^g^^^^^^Sj^^^^^^^^ :—■ ' ' ~fL~:""'' nearest Doge.

Va^* Boodelee have ^^^^^^^I^^^^^S^" T" _____ ~" [He snores

it all his own way ! "Wezs?^- fr. ~^^gsj&^^^~ ~ ~~— Culch. Brutal self-

Cidch. Surely you lishness! {Turns out

know he decided "Hi! Otez-moi ceci!" ine light himself.)

suddenly to stay at Now if I can only
Vicenza ? He said so at breakfast. But I will not have your friend get off to sleep while that little beast is quiet-

Bob perpetually- Mosquito [ironically, in his ear). Ping-a-wing-wing !

Podb. At breakfast? Oh, I came down late. Vicenza, eh ? Then I „ ±,

he's out of it! Hooray ! But as for Bob, he's all right too. Oh, 11 Same Scene; the next mornln9-

forgot you cut dejeuner. Hypath had another squabble with Miss ! Culch. {drawing Podbtjry's curtains). Here, wake up, Podbtjey
Teotter, and poor old Bob got dragged into it as usual, and now ; —it's just eight. (Podbuey sits up, and rubs his eyes.) I've had
they ain't on speaking terms. j a horrible night, my dear fellow ! I'm stung to such an extent!

Culch. {overjoyed). You don't say so! Then all Jean say, ! But {hopefully) 1 suppose there's nothing to shoio particularly, eh ?
Podbuey, is that if we two can't manage, in a place like this, to I [Presenting his countenance for inspection.

recover all the ground we have lost-■ Podb. Not much of your original features, old feUow! {He roars

Podb. More water than ground in a place like this, eh ? But I with laughter.) You've got a pair of cheeks like a raised map !
know what you mean—we mwii be duffers if we don't leave Venice j Culch. It—it's going down. Nothing to what it was, half an
engaged men—which we 're not as yet, worse luck ! hour ago !

Culch. No—but we shall be, if we only insist upon being treated \ Podb. Then I'm jolly glad you didn't call me earlier, that's all!
seriously. Culch. It does feel a little inflamed. I wonder if I could get a

Podb. She treats me a devilish deal too seriously, my boy. But
there, never mind—things will go better now !

Scene—A double-bedded room in the Grand Hotel, Dandolo,rtvhich
Podbuey and Cuichaed have to share for the night.

little—er—violet powder, or something-?

Podb. {with a painful want of sympathy). Violet powder ! Buy a
blue veil—a good thick one !

Culch. What sort of impression do you suppose I should get ot
Venice with a blue veil on ?

Podb. Can't say—but a pleasanter one [than Venice will get of

Podb. {from his bed, suspiciously, to Culchabd, ivho is settng fire
to a small pastille in a soap-dish). I say, old chappie, bar fireworks, \ you without it. You don't mean to face the fair Miss Teottee
you know ! What the deuce are you up to over there ? while vou 're like that, do you?

Culch. Lighting a " tidibus." Splendid thing to drive out, Culch. {with dignity). Most certainly I do. I am much mistaken