At last, however, the supper was set, and the merriest evening you can possibly imagine was spent by the guests. His Majesty was in capital spirits, and after supper suggested a little dancing, which suggestion was hailed with delight by the others, and, having moved some of the furniture out of the drawing-room and pushed the rest away into corners, the Wallypug led off with her Grace the Duchess of Mortlake, and quite distinguished himself in "Sir Roger de Coverley." Afterwards there was a little singing and music, several of the guests contributing to the evening's entertainment. Amongst other items was a song by A. Fish, Esq., rendered as well as his bad cold would permit, of which the first lines ran:
I'b siddig here ad lookig at the bood, love, Ad thinkig ov the habby days of old, Wed you ad I had each a wooded spood, love, To eat our porridge wed we had a cold.
Altogether the evening was such a success that her Grace declared that it should not be her fault if surprise parties were not the fashion in Society during the coming winter.
I sent Mrs. Putchy and General Mary Jane down to the house, which I had engaged on the "Lees" at Folkestone, the day before we were to go, in order to see that everything was ready for us.
"The only thing that is wrong is the kitchen chimney, and that smokes, sir," said Mrs. Putchy, in answer to my inquiry on the night of our arrival. "I think that we had better have the sweep in the morning, sir."
"Very well, Mrs. Putchy, I'm sure you know best," I replied, and thought no more of the matter.
Early in the morning, however, I was awakened by screams and cries proceeding from the lower part of the house.
"Help! help! Burglars! Fire and police! Thieves!" screamed a voice, and hastily dressing myself, I rushed out into the passage, and was confronted by the Rhymester, who had evidently just jumped out of bed, and who, though it was broad daylight, bore a lighted candle in one hand, and a pair of fire tongs in the other.
His teeth were chattering with fright, and his knees were knocking together from the same cause.
"Oh! oh! there are burglars in the house," he cried excitedly, "and the others have gone down to them; I'm sure they'll be killed--I told them not to go, but they would. Let's go and hide under a bed somewhere. Oh! oh, what will become of us?"