Having made a vain attempt to approach the bar again, we fought our way back to the promenade, and discovered that ‘Mephisto’ was about to loop the loop. As everyone was anxious to see this, we regained our box, which we found crowded to suffocation, and by standing on chairs at the back got a view of the exciting item. Freddy, who having leant against the electric bell and ordered drinks round, had gone away and forgotten to pay, could not be found; so Verimisti shelled out, and after drinking his health, we moved out again. I may mention that this was the only item on the programme of which I have any recollection, as soon afterwards all became dim for a short time, and I only revived in the further bar with Freddy and Accrington beside me. In the meanwhile it appears that Squiff and de Beresford, both of whom were ‘among the breakers,’ had made a determined attempt to throw one of the chuckers-out downstairs, and were now repenting their mistake in the cool air of Leicester Square; but they subsequently returned in a very dishevelled condition ‘by some secret way known to all but themselves.’
I am told that I had begun to make skilful arrangements for looping the loop with the help of two round topped tables, when a stalwart official requested Squiff and de Beresford to calm me down, which they had succeeded in doing with a handkerchief soaked in soda-water.
As soon as my sight was thoroughly restored we returned to the box, but did not feel well enough to take any interest in the performance.
Moreover, just at that moment we were alarmed by thunderous crashes on the door which Blandford hastily opened, and Verimisti rushed in followed by a heated and indignant official; he rushed to the front of the box and began to climb out, endeavouring to drop into the stalls, explaining meanwhile that he ‘must escape dese awful mens in uneform who put themselves upon my nerve.’
He became very indignant when Accrington caught him by the collar, and, in his subsequent struggles to escape, his dress coat was ripped up astern from top to bottom and part of his braces gave way.
The functionary who had chased him demanded his immediate expulsion, but when Reggie explained that he belonged to our box he retired peacefully after accepting a gin-cocktail that had grown upon the floor by some mysterious means.
As the door closed upon the officer, the voice of Fatty was heard from underneath a pile of coats in the corner.
‘I don’t know what is happening,’ he remarked plaintively, ‘but if somebody will fetch me an Angostura and ginger-beer and pay for it, I shall be quite happy for half-an-hour.’
‘Don’t be an ass,’ said Freddy, who was steadying himself by a clothes peg, ‘who is to fetch you anything; besides, if they did, do you suppose they’d get it here in safety?’