Wilkinson is tired of you
already, Fanny, I suppose I must send Mr. Coristine to comfort you,"
whereat Mr. Errol and his companion exchanged a smile.
"Did the villain shoot Wordsworth at you, Miss Halbert, or was it Hans
Breitmann in the original, or a Spanish _cantinella_, or some such
rubbish? If I was Miss Du Plessis I'd wear a signboard over my ears, 'No
poetical rubbish shot here;' perhaps that might fix him."
"Cecile is sentimental: she dotes on poetry."
"Pardon me for saying I don't believe it. I offered to recite my
original poem on the Grinstun man to her, and she didn't seem to want to
hear it."
"How ungrateful and unsympathetic! You will favour me with it, will you
not?"
"With the greatest pleasure in the world. You know it's awful
balderdash, but here goes."
The original poem was recited with appropriate gestures, intended to
imitate the walk of the hero of the piece and his various features. The
people in front turned their heads to look at the performance and take
in the words. Not to laugh was almost an impossibility, but the dominie
succeeded in doing the impossible, and frowned heavily.
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