Sippy had described them as England's premier warts, and it looked to me as if he might be about right. Professor Pringle was a thinnish, baldish, dyspeptic-lookingish cove with an eye like a haddock, while Mrs Pringle's aspect was that of one who had had bad news round about the year 1900 and never really got over it. And I was just staggering under the impact of these two when I was introduced to a couple of ancient females with shawls all over them.
"No doubt you remember my mother?" said Professor Pringle mournfully, indicating Exhibit A.
"Oh - ah!" I said, achieving a bit of a beam.
"And my aunt," sighed the Prof, as if things were getting worse and worse.
"Well, well, well!" I said shooting another beam in the direction of Exhibit B.
"They were saying only this morning that they remembered you," groaned the Prof, abandoning all hope.
There was a pause. The whole strength of the company gazed at me like a family group out of one of Edgar Allan Poe's less cheery yarns, and I felt my joie de vivre dying at the roots.
"I remember Oliver," said Exhibit A. She heaved a sigh. "He was such a pretty child. What a pity! What a pity!"
Tactful, of course, and calculated to put the guest completely at his ease.
"No doubt you remember my mother?" said Professor Pringle mournfully, indicating Exhibit A.
"Oh - ah!" I said, achieving a bit of a beam.
"And my aunt," sighed the Prof, as if things were getting worse and worse.
"Well, well, well!" I said shooting another beam in the direction of Exhibit B.
"They were saying only this morning that they remembered you," groaned the Prof, abandoning all hope.
There was a pause. The whole strength of the company gazed at me like a family group out of one of Edgar Allan Poe's less cheery yarns, and I felt my joie de vivre dying at the roots.
"I remember Oliver," said Exhibit A. She heaved a sigh. "He was such a pretty child. What a pity! What a pity!"
Tactful, of course, and calculated to put the guest completely at his ease.
( P.G. Wodehouse )
[ Carry on, Jeeves ]
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