"Who is this Mr. BUMSTEAD?" asked MAGNOLIA, who was now looking much
like a ghost.
"He's that absurd EDDY'S ridiculous uncle, and my music-teacher,"
answered the Flowerpot, also presenting an emaciated appearance.
"You do not love him?" queried MAGNOLIA.
"Now go 'wa-a-ay! How perfectly disgusting!" protested FLORA.
"You know that he loves you!"
"Do-o-n't!" pleaded Miss POTTS, nervously. "You'll make me fidgetty
again, just thinking of to-night. It was too perfectly absurd."
"What was?"
"Why, _he_ was,--Mr. BUMSTEAD. It gave me the funniest feeling! It was
as though some one was trying to see through you, you know."
"My child!" exclaimed Miss PENDRAGON, dropping her cheek-distenders upon
the bureau, "you speak strangely. Has that man gained any power over
you?"
"No, dear," returned FLORA, wiping off a part of her left eyebrow with
cold cream. "But didn't you see? He was looking right down my throat all
the time I was singing, until it actually tickled me!"
"Does he always do so?"
"Oh, I don't know what he always does!" whimpered the nervous Flowerpot.
"Oh, he's such an utterly ridiculous creature! Sometimes when we're in
company together, and I smell cloves, and look at him, I think that I
see the lid of his right eye drop over the ball and tremble at me in the
strangest manner.
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