Fellingham pleaded: “The man’s a perfect burlesque. He’s as distinctly made to be laughed at as a mask in a pantomime.”
“Papa will not think so,” said Annette; “and papa has been told that he is not to be laughed at as a man of business.”
“Do you prize him for that?”
“I am no judge. I am too happy to be in England to be a judge of anything.”
“You did not touch his wine!”
“You men attach so much importance to wine!”
“They do say that powders is a good thing after Mr. Tinman’s wine,” observed Mrs. Crickledon, who had come into the sitting-room to take away the breakfast things.
Mr. Fellingham gave a peal of laughter; but Mrs Crickledon bade him be hushed, for Mr. Van Diemen Smith had gone to lay down his poor aching head on his pillow. Annette ran upstairs to speak to her father about a doctor.
During her absence, Mr. Fellingham received the popular portrait of Mr. Tinman from the lips of Mrs. Crickledon. He subsequently strolled to the carpenter’s shop, and endeavoured to get a confirmation of it.
“My wife talks too much,” said Crickledon.