I am unable to state the precise number of cherry brandies that Freddy had consumed during his absence from my care, but his lady cousin appeared to have had a distinctly exhilarating effect upon him. At any rate after two lagers had been followed by a sherry and bitters, he manifested a desire to dance, which was only suppressed by the advent of a uniformed attendant with a Bow-Street-and-seven-shillings-or-three-days glitter in his eye. The small sum of half-a-crown mollified this dignitary, a view of whose face was—as Freddy remarked—cheap at the price.
Then, while Freddy and I were watching a lady in scanty costume who was advertised to dive from the roof into a six-foot tank, Timmins disappeared. After forty minutes’ diligent searching, which involved on Freddy’s part a frivolous conversation with the young lady at the assorted jewellery stall, we came upon the wanderer.
He was seated in the centre of the crystal maze and a strong odour of patchouli, exchanging vows of undying affection with a lady of a certain age and uncertain character.
The cab, in which we then set out for the Cabanero, cost me another half-crown, and the dinner which followed took nearly all our remaining bullion.
However it was a great success.
Towards the end Freddy expressed a violent antipathy to the colour of the Turkish gentleman who served us with coffee, and was only quieted by the strains of the ‘Girl from Kays’ from the orchestra.
Dinner over, we were going downstairs, when Freddy, who appeared unable to find the bannisters, grasped the hand of an ancient and enamelled dowager who was laboriously ascending, and, greeting her effusively, enquired ‘if her mother knew she was out.’ Leaving the venerable relic speechless and perspiring, we saved ourselves from rough treatment at the hands of the attendants by bolting hatless into Piccadilly Circus, and here we saw the last of Timmins.
He leant into our cab, and after explaining pathetically that he had no money to pay his washing bill and that he had pawned his mother’s photograph, propped himself wearily against the railings and took no further interest in the proceedings.
Our arrival at Paddington a few minutes after nine was marked by wild cheers on Freddy’s part and the disbursement of my last eighteenpence. A short interview with the station-master resulted in the exchange of my card for two third singles to Oxford, and a final shilling’s worth at the expense of Blandford, who was returning from the funeral of an imaginary aunt, filled up the time till the train left.