The Obect-Lesson

It was already Thursday
But his lordship's artificial limb could not be found;
Therefore, having directed the servants to fill the baths
He seized the tongs
And set out at once for the edge of the lake
Where the Throbblefoot Spectre still loitered in a distraught manner
He presented it with a length of string
And passed on to the statue of Corrupted Endeavour
To await the arrival of autumn

Meanwhile, on the tower
Madame O____, in conversation with an erstwhile cousin
Saw that his moustache was not his own
On which she flung herself over the parapet
And surreptitiously vanished

He descended, destroying the letter unread
And stepped backwards into the water for a better view
"Heavens, how dashing!" cried the people in the dinghy
And Echo answered: "Count the spoons!"

On the shore a bat, or possibly an umbrella
Disengaged itself from the shrubbery
Causing those nearby to recollect the miseries of childhood

It now became apparent (despite the lack of library paste)
That something had happened to the vicar;
Guns began to go off in the distance

At twilight, however, no message had come from the asylum
So the others retired to the kiosk
Only to discover the cakes iced a peculiar shade of green
And the tea-urn empty
Save for a card on which was written the single word:
Farewell