AT THE DUCHESS OF B-S BALL IN 1920.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12266, 9 May 1903, Page 5 (Supplement)

AT THE DUCHESS OF B -S BALL IN 1920.

Fair Partnkk (rather breathless, during a pause in a va'.se, to Eligible Youth): " Well, and what have you been doing with yourself? I haven't seen you for ages!"

Eligible Youth: " Oh, you know, I only came out last Tuesday!"

F.P. : "Of course—how stupid of me! I quite forgot. Where were youat Portland or Dartmoor? Everybody says that Pnrkhurst is much the nicest."

E. Y : " And that was my shop. But I didn't expect to meet you here to-night. 1 thought you were—"

F.P. : "Oh, you mean that little affair at, Marshall and Snelgrove's! 'Why, papa and mamma went security, and I'm out on bail at present It's nothing! Papa's solicitor says I must plead kleptomania, and after Ethel Prigley's case he thinks 1 run an even chance of an acquittal. Anyhow, at the worst it. will only be a short term, and I should be out in plenty of time for Ascot week. Let us go and have some supper." (They descend towards supper-room.) F.P. (to a girl friend, who comes upstairs towards them with a glass in her hand): "Why, Lilian, what are you going to do with that bumper of champagne?" Girl Friend (confidentially): "It's for the dear duchess. She's on the Black List. They have got her photograph, by Annette Hughes, hung up in the supper-room, and the butler refuses to serve her with anything but Apollinaris or sodawater " IN" Tin! siounoin. First Young Matron (to Second Y.M.): "1 thought you ere not coming up to town this season, and I am so glad to see you! Who is your friendthat pretty little woman in white';" Second Y.M. : " Why, that is May Warreutotidon't you know?— Dick Warrenton's wife, who ran away last month with my husband. Isn't she a darling? I lent her one of my trousseau frocks for tonight, as she le;t all her things behind her. Jack couldn't bring her himself to-night, as he is on regimental duty—that is, they have to inscribe the regimental crest, together with a list of its battles and honours, with a red-hot poker on the back of the last newly-joined subaltern, who was caught eating a poached egg at breakfast without having curled his moustache! No one does this poker-work so well as Jack, you know. So Dick Warrenton brought her to-night himself, as Jack couldn't. Just like —so. obliging." IX THE ItALLBOOM. Nervous Chaperone (excitedly, to her two pretty daughters, who have been dancing haul the whole evening): "Lucy! Amy! Who are those two tall, distin-guished-looking men who have just come in and are staring about them so? . . . . lam sure I have seen them before. . . . . I think we should be safer if we went on to Lady J.'s at once." First Dancing Daughter: " Oh, no! Do let us stay here, ma! It's not us! They've only come to see if they can identify any of the tiaras here as those that were stolen from Regent-street last week." Second D.D. : " Oh, yes, mamma! I must have my vals€> with Charlie Montmorency. The treadmill has so improved his step. He really dances quite beautifully now."— Gentlewoman.