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He knew a number of anecdotes, charades, proverbs, and was fond of being humorous and witty, and he always wore an expression from which it was impossible to tell whether he were joking or in earnest. His wife, Vera Iosifovna a thin, nice-looking lady who wore a pince-nez used to write novels and stories, and was very fond of reading them aloud to her visitors.
They did not want to give another tea-party, and could not get in all at dinner. They had had charades and a picnic. Elizabeth Eliza wished for something unusual, that should be remembered after they had left for Egypt. Why should it not be a fancy ball? There never had been one in the place. Mrs. Peterkin hesitated. Perhaps for that reason they ought not to attempt it.
The guests were talking of having a few tableaux and charades, like some they had seen arranged by their older sisters. "I don't care anything about their old tolly-blows do you, Johnny?" said Dotty. "Let's play 'I spy' you and I." "No, you don't catch me playing high spy with such a cross party as you are, Dot Dimple."
"And we have not any words for them to hear or see!" exclaimed John Osborne, behind the curtain. "Oh, I wish we'd never determined to have charades! exclaimed Elizabeth Eliza. "Can't we return the money?" "They are all here; we must give them something!" said John Osborne, heroically. "And Solomon John is almost dressed," reported Ann Maria, winding a veil around her head.
"Friday Morning, dominoes. Afternoon, dominoes. Evening, promenading the deck. Afterwards, charades. "Saturday Morning, dominoes. Afternoon, dominoes. Evening, promenading the decks. Afterwards, dominoes. "Sunday Morning service, four bells. Evening service, eight bells. Monotony till midnight. Whereupon, dominoes. "Monday Morning, dominoes. Afternoon, dominoes. Evening, promenading the decks.
"You are a dear little coz," she said, just touching the tip of Anna's chin with her thumb and forefinger. "I don't ever want to do anything that will vex you. Especially if Rex is to make everything come off charades and everything."
In the lists he especially distinguished himself, "in supernatural feats, changing his horses, and making them fly or rather leap, to the delight and ecstasy of everybody." He also gave himself to masquerades and charades.
More brilliant perhaps than in the crush and mixed confusion of city society could have been achieved. It is a great thing to have room for display. There were people enough, not too many; and almost all of them knew their business. So there was good dressing and capital acting. The evening would have been a success, even without the charades on which Mme. Lasalle laid so much stress.
As the end of the voyage drew near, the hearty captain grew heartier, the bosom-friends drew closer; the shy passengers opened up; the congenial passengers began to grieve over the thought of parting; charades were acted; concerts were given: the mean-spirited passenger became a little less vile; the fore-cabin passenger from Edinburgh observed to her friend that the "goin's on a'boord were wonderfu';" to which the fore-cabin passenger from London replied that "they certainly was;" flying-fish and porpoises, and sharks and albatrosses, and tropical heat, ceased to furnish topics of interest, and men and women were thrown back on their mental resources, which were, among other things, largely wid pleasantly sometimes even hotly! exercised on religious discussion.
So, for the next half-hour they were all at the disposal of the Man from Outside, who worked as though it was a real stage, and they were real players, and there were great audiences to see them. It was all quite wonderful, and it involved certain posings, attitudes, mimicry and pantomime, for they were really ingenious charades.
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