What I like to see, and watch with increasing joy and adoration,
is the Club MEN at the great looking-glasses. Old Gills pushing up his
collars and grinning at his own mottled face. Hulker looking solemnly at
his great person, and tightening his coat to give himself a waist. Fred
Minchin simpering by as he is going out to dine, and casting upon the
reflection of his white neckcloth a pleased moony smile. What a deal of
vanity that Club mirror has reflected, to be sure!
Well, the ladies went through the whole establishment with perfect
pleasure. They beheld the coffee-rooms, and the little tables laid for
dinner, and the gentlemen who were taking their lunch, and old Jawkins
thundering away as usual; they saw the reading-rooms, and the rush for
the evening papers; they saw the kitchens--those wonders of art--where
the CHEF was presiding over twenty pretty kitchen-maids, and ten
thousand shining saucepans: and they got into the light-blue fly
perfectly bewildered with pleasure.
Sackville did not enter it, though little Laura took the back seat on
purpose, and left him the front place alongside of Mrs. Chuff's red
tabinet.
'We have your favourite dinner,' says she, in a timid voice; 'won't you
come, Sackville?'
'I shall take a chop here to-day, my dear,' Sackville replied. 'Home,
James.' And he went up the steps of the 'Sarcophagus,' and the pretty
face looked very sad out of the carriage, as the blue fly drove away.
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