
Characters.
Costumes.
Transcriber’s Note
A lavish drawing‑room is poised for an evening soirée, its chandeliers alight and bouquets perfectly arranged, while a parade of eccentrically dressed gentlemen and a striking lady in pink silk take their places. The host, Thwaites, prides himself on the immaculate décor, yet his confidence wavers as he learns that the lady’s father has vanished after leaving the house that afternoon. Their banter crackles with witty sarcasm, setting a tone of playful absurdity that hints at deeper social quirks.
Into this scene rushes Whitewash, a flamboyant lawyer who boasts of a recent courtroom triumph involving a stolen watch hidden in an umbrella. His exaggerated tales of “knocking up” for a cause and the bewildered reactions of the other guests spark a series of misunderstandings, especially when the family’s trusted greengrocer appears as an evening waiter. The farcical clash of status, pretension, and slapstick intrigue promises a whirlwind of laughs as each character strives to maintain dignity amid the chaos.
Language
en
Duration
~39 minutes (38K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Paul Haxo from page images generously made available by the HathiTrust, the University of Illinois, and Google.
Release date
2015-06-27
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1812–1877
Best known in Victorian literary life as a dramatist, critic, and translator, he helped bring German writing to English readers while building a remarkably busy career in the London theater world.
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