Even so, it was bad enough: he was arrayed
in a shabby old silk roquelaire, and there was a towel upon his breast,
pinned behind his neck. He had just a second to pop the basin under the
table, and to whisk the towel violently from under his chin, drying that
feature with merciless violence; when the officious Judy Carrol, Grand
Chamberlain in Jerome's absence, with the facetious grin of a
good-natured lady about to make two people happy, introduced the
bewitching Magnolia, and her meek little uncle, Major O'Neill.
In they came, rejoicing, to ask the gallant fireworker (it was a
different element just now), to make one of a party of pleasure to
Leixlip. O'Flaherty could not so much as hand the young lady a chair; to
emerge from behind the table, or even to attempt a retreat, was of
course not to be thought of in the existing state of affairs. The action
of Puddock's recipe was such as to make his share in the little
complimentary conversation that ensued very indistinct, and to oblige
him, to his disgrace and despair, when the poor fellow tried a smile,
actually to apply his towel hastily to his mouth.
Pages:
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169