He, however, kept his solemnity. "I suppose I need
not say much," he had said, "for I shall be the 'Turk who was
dreaming of the hour.'" But he did order the little boys to bring
sherbet, and when they brought it without ice insisted they must
have their heads cut off, and Ann Maria fainted, and the scene
closed.
"What are we to do now?" asked John Osborne, warming up to the
occasion.
"We must have an 'inn' scene," said Elizabeth Eliza, consulting her
letter; "two inns, if we can."
"We will have some travellers disgusted with one inn, and going
to another,"
said John Osborne.
"Now is the time for the bandboxes," said Solomon John, who,
since his Turk scene was over, could give his attention to the rest
of the charade.
Elizabeth Eliza and Ann Maria went on as rival hostesses, trying to
draw Solomon John, Agamemnon, and John Osborne into their
several inns. The little boys carried valises, hand-bags, umbrellas,
and bandboxes. Bandbox after bandbox appeared, and when
Agamemnon sat down upon his the applause was immense. At last
the curtain fell.
"Now for the whole," said John Osborne, as he made his way off
the stage over a heap of umbrellas.
"I can't think why the lady from Philadelphia did not send me the
whole," said Elizabeth Eliza, musing over the letter.
"Listen, they are guessing," said John Osborne. "'D-ice-box.' I don't
wonder they get it wrong.
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