For a little space she laughed helplessly. At last:

"I am an idiot to encourage you. Seriously," she added, "about
the little play."

"Presently by us to be enacted?"

"The plot," I said, "is as follows. Punch has a row with Judy
and knocks her out. (Laughter.) Various well-intentioned and
benignant fools look in on Punch to pass the time of day, and
get- very properly- knocked out for their pains. (Loud and
prolonged laughter.) This is followed by the side-splitting
incident in which a handy clown not only eludes the thirsty
bludgeon, but surreptitiously steals the inevitable sausages.
Exit clown. Punch, already irritated at having missed clown,
misses sausages, and exit in high dudgeon. Re-enter Judy,
followed by sausaged clown, who comforts her. (Oh, Judy!)
Re-enter Punch. Justifiable tussle. Punch sees sausages and
begins to find his length. Clown sees stars and exit. Punch
knocks out Judy with a left hook. To him, gloating, enter
constable. It seems Judy's knock-out more serious than usual.
Constable suggests that Punch shall go quietly. Punch does not
see it, and retires to fetch persuader. Constable protests and
is persuaded. (Laughter.) Enter ghost- not clear whose ghost,
but any ghost in a storm. Punch unnerved. Ghost gibbers. Punch
more unnerved. Ghost gibbers again. Punch terrified. Exit
ghost and enter hangman, to whom Punch, unstrung by recent
encounter with apparition, falls an easy prey. Curtain. You bow
from the mouth of the booth. I adjust nose and collect money in