Notes from the Code Face

Donners made his way up a wet and wintry Bachelor's Walk. "Down along be the kay", he thought to himself, "in the language of the common folk, that is". Finally, arriving at his good friend Adonis's abode he knocked loudly on the door. "He frapped loudly on the door", he thought to himself, "in franglais, that is". On entering the large vestibule, Adonis remarked on his pal's warm, wintrry cape, wrapped tightly about his bony shoulders. "A fine cape, ermine if I'm not mistaken" he said. "Er, mine actually" chuckled Donners. Eyes were rolled that day.

"What exactly is the occasion ?", mutttered Donners through clenched teeth, clenched aginst each other, and the cold, that is. "Well Aunt Edith has invited us for tea, replied Adonis. "Let us make haste or we shall be forced to be camp". "Which", he addded eyeing the fox skin trimming on that fine ermine cape, " would not be too hard for the likes of you".

Settling themselves into the cosy canape in Aunt Edith's salon the freinds allowed their look to linger on the doileys and lick longlinly the Battenburg, which seemed to leave a slight greasy taint on their vision. Mmmmm.

The maid surveyed the pals and decided to leave them wrapped in their outdoor apperel for the moment, to let them get the heat into themselves. "Aunt Edith will be down directly" said the maid. "Oh, she's so efficient that maid", smoldered Donners.

Finally, Aunt Edith appeared all wrinkles, perfume and kisses. Until that is she spies Donner's fine ermine cape. "Eeeeek", she shrieked, rushing towards the window and committing the first act of auto-defenestration seen that year on Merrion Square. "Good God", said Donners, "do I smell that bad ?", absent mindedly tuggling another slice of battenburg from the bottom of the pile, there lying typically, the most moist segments of that noble delicacy. "Well you do my freind, but I fear Aunt Edith's shock is most likely related yo your moist erimine cape, she, I had neglected to mention, being an animal lover and vegitarian of the highest order". "Oh dear", lamented Donners, luxuriously uncomfortable with the sensation of the trace of gerease left on his forefinger and thumb by that tasty cake, "we would have done better if we had in this case heeded the common folk". "In what way ?", said Adonis settling into the cushions, for a wintry breeze was coming in off the green through the broken window. "Why quite simply, when they tell us" said Donners, luxuriating in the faint trace of cleverness left on his mind "that one cannot have one's cape and Edith too". Neither the shards of glass in the broken pane nor the cruel flagstones below discouraged Adonis from hurrying to join his aunt.