Gilbert illustrated, and began to sneeze promptly, as the snuff titillated his air passages.
"Now you try!" he said, and smiled.
Gilbert held it insinuatingly to the lady's nostrils and pumped vigorously.
"A-tish—shoo!" remarked the lady, as if he had touched a spring.
"A-tish—shoo-oo-ooh!" replied Gilbert.
After that they responded antiphonally, like Alp answering Alp, till the door opened and Dr. Girnigo appeared with a half-written sheet of sermon paper in his hand.
The guilty pair stood rooted to the ground—at least, spasmodically so, for every other moment a sneeze lifted one of them upon tiptoe.
"What is this, Arabella, what is this? What is this young man doing here?"
"Don't be—a-tish—oo—stupid, papa! You know very well—shoo—it is Mr. Denholm, the new Assist—aroo!"
"Sir!" said Dr. Girnigo, turning upon his junior and angrily stamping his foot.