Anybody who
has ever heard it can fill in the proper accentuation,
which must be very rich and deep.
"Oh, Mrs. Putitover, MAY I introduce my very dear old
friend, Canon Cutitout? The Canon, Mrs. Putitover, is
one of my DEAREST friends. Mrs. Putitover, my dear Canon,
is quite one of our most enthusiastic workers."
After which outburst of soul the Bishop is able to add,
"Will you excuse me, I'm afraid I simply MUST run."
Personally, I have never known or met a Bishop in society
in any other situation than just about to run. Where they
run to, I do not know. But I think I understand what they
run from.
The Lounge Room of the Club
Equally high in the social scale but done quite differently
is the Club Introduction. It is done by a club man who,
for the life of him, can't remember the names of either
of the two club men whom he is introducing, and who each,
for the life of him, can't think of the name of the man
they are being introduced by. It runs--
"Oh, I say, I beg your pardon--I thought, of course, you
two fellows knew one another perfectly well--let me
introduce--urr----wurr----"
Later on, after three whiskey-and-sodas, each of the
three finds out the names of the other two, surreptitiously
from the hall porter.
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