Little Peter Wingfield, having lost his own wig and
being too little to snatch Lovely's wig, mounted one of
the stout Windsor wheelback chairs and, taking down
the print of a famous cock-fight extracted the hook
from the wall and laid an embargo on the black silk
ties of three of his friends in order to fish from the
window for another wig. He succeeded in catching the
Marquis of Hurricane's to the intense delight of his
undutiful sons the Earl of Squall and Lord Augustus
Wind. Of course after such a successful display of
angling, everybody else had to try his hand with the
picture hook and two more wigs were captured but
proved so frowsy that they were burnt immediately.
However, Mr. Chalkley caught the hem of Lady Jane
Vane's petticoat just as she was stepping into her chair
and would without doubt have injured that virgin's
modest reputation for ever, had the garment been made
of more durable stuff; as it was, the hook would not
hold and nothing was disclosed beyond what is allowed
by any wet day.
Then Mr. Daish came hurrying in and begged their
honours to desist because the watch was coming, and
what Mr. Ripple would say when he heard of the riot
he did not dare surmize.
26o THE PASSIONATE ELOPEMENT

Poor Mr. Daish bowed and scraped and was so full of
excuses that all the young gentlemen felt quite sorry for
him and put him seat foremost into the biggest bowl of
punch in order to drown his troubles, whereupon Mr.
