“’Ere you are!” scornfully said Mr. Tridge, passing him the puff. “’Elp yourself! Go on! Put some on your nose, too. I would, if I was you! Take some ’ome with you in a paper bag. ’Ere, steady!” he ended, snatching the puff out of Mr. Dobb’s hand. “It’s for powdering, not whitewashing, remember!”
“You ain’t got a little complexion cream to spare, I suppose?” asked Mr. Dobb, unabashed. “No, I thought not. Well, then, what about a little drop o’ brilliantine, eh? This it? Thanks.”
“Don’t you be a fool, ’Orace,” earnestly counselled Mr. Tridge. “I’m surprised at you, I am, reely! Runnin’ after gals at your time of life! What would your missis say?”
“I ain’t running after no gals,” denied Mr. Dobb. “I ain’t even slow-marching after ’em. But I wants to look just-so, because I’m making a sort of deboo in ’igh society this evening.”
“Fish supper with the dook and duchess, I suppose?” ironically hazarded Mr. Tridge.
“No; but it’s the opening night at the theayter to-night,” explained Mr. Dobb, “and I’m going to sit somewhere near the front seats. ’Ow’s that for getting on in life, eh?”
“Free complimentaries,” diagnosed Mr. Tridge, “for promising to show window-bills. Why, I’ve got orders for two myself.”
“’Ave you though?” said Mr. Dobb, a little dashed by this discounting of his social value. “Why, I was going to hinvite you to come along with me. We could ’ave tossed up to see ’oo paid for the programme. If you don’t come, I shall only ’ave to take the missis, and I don’t want to waste a seat deliberate like that, if I can ’elp it.”
“I’ve asked Peter Lock to come along with me,” returned Mr. Tridge. “It’s ’is night off from the billiard-room. ’Ere, what about asking old Sam Clark, eh? The four of us going together to the theayter like we used to do in the good old, bad old days of the ‘Jane Gladys.’”
“Right-o!” agreed Mr. Dobb, very readily. “Anything to hencourage my missis in ’ome life. We’ll all four go together. But no getting chucked out in a bunch, though, mind,” he stipulated. “I’ve got business reasons for not wanting to upset the chap what’s running the theayter now.”