Page 261 CHAPTER SEVENTEENBagsworthy followed it successfully, but was less
successful than he had hoped in knocking the other fellow's head
off. He returned home with a prejudice against all forms of public
entertainment, which expressed itself bitterly in the word `Mummers
!' For some reason this word gave him a satisfaction which no arrangement
of expletives could have brought. `Mummers,' he muttered through
the sponge, as he bathed his eye, `that's what they are. Mummers
!' From that day the dangers of mumming, and of any association
with mummers, were kept in front of his daughter. `All mummers,'
Mr. Bagsworthy would say mournfully, as he led her past some brightly
lit building, `all the whole lot of 'em, elephants and all. Just
mummers.' And Mr. Stoker, when his turn came to listen to the Bagsworthy
creed, proved to be equally orthodox. `That's all right, my girl,'
he said. `We'll have no money to waste on fripperies of that sort.
Look at Rome. Panem et circen.re.r and all that, if you see what
I'm referring to. Eh, Bags?' Mr. Bagsworthy, who strongly objected
to being called `Bags' by his future son-in-law, even if he had
picked up a bit of Greek, said `Ah !' with the air of one adding
a scholarly footnote. |
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