Australian Tales - Setis

Dropping in at Dinner-Time.
A BULLOCK'S head suddenly thrust through the side window of a
crowded omnibus, could not have caused more commotion amongst the
astonished insiders, than did the announcement of a visitor by Mary the
maid-of-all-work, just as Mr. and Mrs. Tiddle and the five young Tiddles
were sitting down one day to dine off a roasted rabbit, which had been
sent to them by a friend in the country, and which they all regarded as an
extraordinary treat.
“Please, sir, Mr. Grubb wants to see you,” said the maid, “but he says
he will wait in the shop till you have done dinner.”
“Patience me! that horrid old fellow has come again,” exclaimed Mrs.
Tiddle, with a sort of farewell glance at the rabbit, and a vicious look at
her spouse, as if he had been directly instrumental in bringing the
dreadful nuisance into the house; while the children looked as scared as
though there was a wolf under the table. “What are you going to do,
Tiddle? You will not ask him in, surely! There is barely enough dinner
for ourselves, and he usually eats as much as three of us. If he comes in
here I shall be mad enough to snap off his legs. It's downright provoking,
to think that greedy fellow should poke his nose in here at dinner time
two or three times a week; and he always smells when we have anything
hot and nice, that's the worst of it, he never comes on cold meat or stew
days. What are you going to do, Tiddle? Why don't you speak to me, and
not sit there like one of your shop dummies?”
“Hem — I scarcely know what to do, my dear. You see how
awkwardly I am situated. Grubb has recommended me to three
customers, and he has promised to do all he can for me.”
“Yes, indeed! and one of them run away in the suit of colonial tweed
you made for him, and never paid you sixpence, the shabby cheat. You
are much obliged to Mr. Grubb for that customer, certainly! Yes — give
him all the rabbit, and let your wife and children go hungry! Ask him in
of course!”
“Oh, don't bother me, Becky, pray don't, my head's mithered. I won't
ask him in, dear, if I can help it, but I don't want to offend him, I can't
afford to lose customers these hard times. O dear, dear, there is so much
ruinous cutting, and so many tricky people in trade now a days, that it is
a hard matter for an honest man to get along and pay his way. I'm
perplexed, Becky, but have patience, there's a dear.”