The Project Gutenberg EBook of Punch Volume 102, May 28, 1892, by Various

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Title: Punch Volume 102, May 28, 1892
or the London Charivari

Author: Various

Release Date: January 14, 2005 [EBook #14690]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PUNCH VOLUME 102, MAY 28, 1892 ***

Produced by Malcolm Farmer, William Flis, and the PG Online
Distributed Proofreading Team.

PUNCH,

OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

VOL. 102.

May 28, 1892.

VENICE RESERVED.

(_A SKETCH FROM A NUMBERED STALL AT OLYMPIA._)

On the Stage, the Scene represents "A Public Place before the
Arsenal," where a number of artisans are apparently busily engaged
in making horse-shoes on cold anvils in preparation for the launch
of "_The Adriatica_." On extreme R. enter _Antonio_, who expresses
commercial embarrassment by going through a sort of dumb-bell exercise
on a bridge. On extreme L. enter _Bassanio_, _Lorenzo_, and _Antonio_,
who observe, with mild surprise, that there are several other persons
present, and proceed to point out objects of local interest to one
another with the officious amiability of persons in the foreground
of hotel advertisements. (_Here a Small Boy in a box, who has an
impression he is going to see a Pantomime, inquires audibly "when
the Clown Part will begin?" and has to be answered and consoled._)
_Bassanio_ perceives _Antonio_ afar off, and advances towards him with
stately deliberation, throwing out signals with one arm at intervals;
_Antonio_ goes to meet him; they shake each other by both hands with
affectionate cordiality, and then turn their backs on one another,
as though, on reflection, they found they had less to say than they
had imagined. Presently _Bassanio_ recollects why he wanted to see
_Antonio_ so particularly, and, by describing a circle in the air,
and pointing from the electric lights above to the balcony stalls in
front, and tapping his belt, puts _Antonio_ at once in possession of
his chronic impecuniosity, his passion for _Portia_, and his need for
a small temporary loan. _Antonio_ curls up his fists, raises them to
the level of his ears, and then pretends to take