32. Show the spirit of contrary.—The idea in this imposition is the same as in the game of contrary. Whatever the player is told to do, he must do just the contrary.
33. Give good advice.—Go round the room, and to every one of the company give a piece of good advice.
34. Flattering speeches.—This penance is usually given to a gentleman, though there is no reason why the ladies should always be exempted from its performance. Should it be a gentleman, however, he must make six, twelve, or as many flattering speeches as he is told to a certain lady, without once making use of the letter L. For instance, he may tell her she is handsome, perfect, good, wise, gracious, or anything else he may choose to say, only whatever adjective he makes use of must be spelt without the letter L.
35. The deaf man.—This cruel punishment consists in the penitent being made to stand in the middle of the room, acting the part of a deaf man. In the meantime the company invite him to do certain things, which they know will be very agreeable to him. To the first three invitations he must reply—"I am deaf; I can't hear." To the fourth invitation he must reply—"I can hear"; and, however disagreeable the task may be, he must hasten to perform it. It is needless to say the company generally contrive that the last invitation shall be anything but pleasant.
36. Act the parrot.—The player condemned to this penance must go round the room, saying to every one of the company—"If I were a parrot, what would you teach me to say?" No end of ridiculous things may be suggested, but the rule is that every answer shall be repeated by the parrot before putting another question.
37. Make your will.—The victim in this case is commanded to say what he will leave as a legacy to every one of his friends in the room. To one he may leave his black hair, to another his eyebrows, to another (perhaps a lady) his dress coat, to another his excellent common sense, to another his wit, and so on until every one in the room has been remembered.
38. Spell Constantinople.—This trick, as most people are aware, consists in calling out "No, no!" to the speller when he has got as far as the last syllable but one. Thus he begins:—"C-o-n con, s-t-a-n stan, t-i ti." Here voices are heard crying "No, no!" which interruption, unless the victim be prepared for it, may lead him to imagine that he has made a mistake.
39. The natural historian.—Go to the first player, and ask him to name his favourite animal. Whatever animal he may mention, you must imitate its cry as loudly as you can. You then ask the second player to do the same, and so on until you shall have imitated all the animals mentioned, or until the company shall declare that you deserve to have your forfeit returned to you.
40. The blind dancers.—Among players who are not anxious to prolong the ordeal of forfeit crying any longer than is necessary, the following method of redeeming several forfeits at once may be acceptable:—Eight victims are chosen to be blindfolded, and while in this condition are requested to go through the first figure of a quadrille.
41. The cats' concert.—This is another method of redeeming any number of forfeits at once. The players who have their forfeits to redeem are requested to place themselves together in a group, when, at a given signal from the leader, they all begin to sing any tune they like. The effect, as may well be imagined, is far from soothing.