SCENE—The outside of a small fancy-stationer's in a back-street. The windows are plastered with highly-coloured caricatures, designed to convey the anonymous amenities prescribed by poetic tradition at this Season of the Year. A small crowd is inspecting these works of Art and Literature with hearty approval.
First Artisan. See this 'ere, BILL? (He spells out with a slow relish.)
"With yer crawlin,' lick-spittle carneyin' ways,
Yo think very likely bein' a nippercrit'll pay!
Still some day it's certain you'll be found out at lorst
As a cringin', sloimy, snoike in the grorss!"
Why, it might ha' been wrote a-purpose for that there little cantin' beggar up at our shop—blowed if it mightn't!
Second Artisan. Young MEALY, yer mean? But that's cawmplimentry—for him—that is!
First A. But yer see the ideer of it. They've drawed im a snoike, all 'cept 'is 'ed, d'ye see? That's why they've wrote "Snoike in the Grorss," underneath. Hor-hor! they must be smart chaps to think o' sech things as that 'ere, eh? [They move on.
First Servant Girl (reading)—