THE BLOOMSBURY CHRISTENING. 383 



violins, painfully convinced him that his surmises were but too well 

 founded. 



" How are you ? " said little Kitterbell in a greater bustle than 

 ever, bolting out of the little back parlour with a corkscrew in his 

 hand, and various particles of saw-dust, looking like so many in- 

 verted commas, on his inexpressibles. 



" Good God!" said Dumps, turning into the aforesaid parlour to 

 put his shoes on which he had brought in his coat-pocket, and still 

 more appalled by the sight of seven fresh drawn corks, and a cor- 

 responding number of decanters. " How many people are there up 

 stairs ? " 



" Oh, not above thirty-five. We've had the carpet taken up in 

 the back drawing-room, and the piano, and the card-tables are in the 

 front. Jemima thought we'd better have a regular sit down supper, 

 in the front parlour, because of the speechifying, and all that. But, 

 Lord ! uncle, what's the matter ?" continued the excited little man, as 

 Dumps stood with one shoe on, rummaging his pockets with the 

 most frightful distortion of visage. " What have you lost ? Your 

 pocket-book ? " 



" No," returned Dumps, diving first into one pocket and then into 

 the other, and speaking in a voice like Desdemona with the pillow 

 over her mouth. 



ee Your card-case ? snuff-box ? the key of your lodgings ? " con- 

 tinued Kitterbell, pouring question on question with the rapidity of 

 lightning. 



" No ! no ! " ejaculated Dumps, still diving eagerly into his 

 empty pocket. 



" Not not the mug you spoke of this morning ? " 



" Yes, the mug. 1 " replied Dumps, sinking into a chair. 



" How could you have done it ?" inquired Kitterbell. " Are you 

 sure you brought it out ? " 



" Yes! yes! I see it all;" said Dumps, starting up as the idea 

 flashed across his mind ; " miserable dog that I am I was born to 

 suffer. I see it all ; it was the gentlemanly-looking young man !"' 



" Mr. Dumps !" shouted the green-grocer in a stentorian voice, as 

 he ushered the somewhat recovered godfather into the drawing-room 

 half an hour after the above declaration. "Mr. Dumps!" every 

 body looked at the door, and in came Dumps, feeling about as much 

 out of place as a salmon might be supposed to be on a gravel-walk. 



" Happy to see you again," said Mrs. Kitterbell, quite unconscious 

 of the unfortunate man's confusion and misery ; " you must allow me 

 to introduce you to a few of our friends : my mama, Mr. Dumps 

 my papa and sisters." Dumps seized the hand of the mother as 

 warmly as if she was his own parent, bowed to the young ladies, and 

 against a gentleman behind him, and took no notice whatever of the 

 father, who had been bowing incessantly for three minutes and a 

 quarter. 



" Uncle," said little Kitterbell, after Dumps had been introduced 

 to a select dozen or two, " you must let me lead you to the other end 

 of the room, to introduce you to my friend Danton. Such a splendid 

 fellow ! I'm sure you'll like him this way." Dumps followed as 

 tractably as a tame bear. 



