“Don’t do that,” gasped the jury, “and we will pay you whatever your charge may be.”
“Oh, there’s nothing to pay for the lozenges. We don’t sell ourselves, we only sell other people! Ta, ta” said the lady, and led the boys out at the door. On reaching the entrance, she bid them good-bye, at which they looked rather blank, as they had hoped she would stay with them; and seeing this, she said—
“My dear boys, I cannot come with you, as it is time for afternoon tea, and I must have that. T comes before U, does it not?” So saying, she kissed them, and passed them out at the door.
OMINOUS BUS.
As they stepped into the street a voice shouted,
“Take your seats, take your seats! Blunderbus just going off!”
The boys turned round and saw a short fat gun, evidently an infant of the Woolwich infant. On a sign on the wall opposite it was painted “DOUBLE ACTION BLUNDERBUS CO𐞲. (unlimited).”
“Why does it point up so much?” asked Jaques.
“Well, ye see, sir, the street ’ere is pretty steep; that’s how it’z erranged mortar-like.”