380 THE BLOOMSBURY CHRISTENING. 



" PIollo!" echoed the passengers; the omnibus passed St. Giles's 

 church. 



" Hold hard !" said the conductor, <e I'm blowed if we ha'n't forgot 

 the gen'lm'n as vas to be set down at Doory-lane. Now, sir, make 

 haste, if you please," he added, opening the door, and assisting Dumps 

 out with as much coolness as if it was " all right/' Dumps' indig- 

 nation was for once getting the better of his cynical equanimity. 

 " Drury-lane !" he gasped, with the voice of a boy in a cold-bath for 

 the first time. 



" Doory-lane, sir ? yes, sir, third turning on the right hand 

 side, sir." 



Dumps' passion was paramount, he clutched his umbrella, and was 

 striding off with the firm determination of not paying the fare. The 

 cad, by a remarkable coincidence, happened to entertain a directly 

 contrary opinion, and heaven knows how far the altercation would 

 have proceeded if it had not been most ably and satisfactorily 

 brought to a close by the driver. 



" Hollo !" said that respectable person standing up on the box, and 

 leaning with one hand on the roof of the omnibus. ff Hollo, Tom ! 

 tell the gentleman if so be as he feels aggrieved, we will take him 

 up to the Edge-er (Edgeware) Road for nothing, and set him down 

 at Doory-lane when we comes back. He can't reject that anyhow." 



The argument was irresistible ; Dumps paid the disputed sixpence, 

 and in a quarter of an hour was on the staircase of No, 14, Great 

 Russell- street. 



Every thing indicated that preparations were making for the re- 

 ception of " a few friends" in the evening. Two dozen extra tum- 

 blers, and four ditto wine-glasses looking anything but transparent, 

 with little bits of straw in them were on the slab in the passage, 

 just arrived. There was a great smell of nutmeg, port wine, and 

 almonds on the staircase ; the covers were taken off the stair-carpet, 

 and the figure of the Venus on the first landing looked as if she were 

 ashamed of the composition-candle in her right hand, which con- 

 trasted beautifully with the lamp-blacked drapery of the goddess of 

 love. The female servant (who looked very warm and bustling) 

 ushered Dumps into a front drawing-room very prettily furnished 

 with a plentiful sprinkling of little baskets, paper table-mats, china 

 watchmen, pink and gold albums, and rainbow-bound little books on 

 the different tables. 



" Ah, uncle ! " said Mr. Kitterbell, " how d'ye do ? allow me 

 Jemima, my dear my uncle, I think you've seen Jemima before, 

 sir?" 



" Have had the pleasure" returned big Dumps, his tone and look 

 making it doubtful whether in his life he had ever experienced the 

 sensation. 



ft I'm sure," said Mrs. Kitterbell with a languid smile, and a 

 slight cough ; " I'm sure hem any friend of Charles's hem 

 much less a relation is " 



" Knew you'd say so, my love," said little Kitterbell, who while 

 he appeared to be gazing on the opposite houses, was looking at his 

 ,wife with a most affectionate air ; (C bless you." The last two words 



