240 GARRYOWEN 



" I beg your pardon? " said Mr Giveen, who had 

 swallowed his bun and was now " saucering " his 

 tea: Anglice, drinking it for coolness out of the 

 saucer. 



" One-and-six, please." 



" And for what, if you please? Do you mane 

 to tell me you're going to charge me one-and-six 

 for a cup of tea and a bun? " 



" Our charge is one-and-sixpence." 



" May I never swallow bite or sup again if this 

 isn't the biggest do I ever came across! And I 

 paying sixpence at the door to get in, and they told 

 me, when I asked them, the refreshments were 

 free. I won't pay it." 



" Then please take it as a gift." 



" A gift ! " cried Mr Giveen. " When did ever a 

 Giveen take food and drink as a gift ! Is it a tramp 

 you're takin' me for? Here's sixpence, and that's 

 tuppence too much, but you can keep the change." 



" Colonel Bingham! " said Miss Smith- Jackson, 

 perfectly unmoved. 



The colonel, who had overheard the end of Mr 

 Giveen's remarks, came to the table. 



" Now, sir," said Colonel Bingham, " what's 

 the trouble? " 



"Trouble! Here's sixpence — a fair price for 

 what I've had. One-and-sixpence she asked me — 

 one-and-sixpence for a cup of tea and a bun! " 



Mr Giveen, who had never been to a bazaar in 

 his Ufe, and who, justly enough, felt outraged, held 

 out his sixpence, this time to Colonel Bingham. 



