“Speak for yourself,” said Flick.
“Flick,” said O’Leary solemnly, “Belle hits hard but she hits square. Son, you ought to be up and doing!”
“Why me any more than Tootles?”
“You’re older than I am,” said Tootles, who joined O’Leary in a withering contemplation of the joke-smith. “Besides, who cracks the jokes you sell?”
“So you’re all picking on me?” said Flick wrathfully. “All right; I’ll show you. And I won’t have to kill an uncle to do it, either,” he added, with a vindictive glance at O’Leary as he left the room.
“He’s gone out in search of puns,” said Tootles, who, after a moment’s whistling, added, “The party still on for to-night?”
“It’s our only salvation.”
“Well, I’ll go down and give the invitations,” said Tootles, who departed in quest of Pansy.