Lancelot Bingley is engaged to Gladys Wetherby but she will not agree to a date for the marriage until her uncle agrees to hand over her money, due when she marries. This he is unlikely to do as he has would not approve, having a dim view of painters.
Then Uncle Francis decides to have his portrait painted for his club and Gladys nominates Lancelot. He goes to her uncle's place, to try and get into his good books, but there is a snag - he mustn't smoke but cannot go without his after-breakfast cigar.
| Lancelot Bingley | a rising young artist with private means |
| Gladys Wetherby | a poetess |
| Colonel Francis Pashley-Drake | her uncle, a famous big-game hunter |
First published December 1967 in Playboy (US).
Wapiti
- a North American deer. The gnu is from Africa.
'Over the Rainbow'
- music by Harold Arlen, words by E. Y. Harburg for from the musical The Wizard of Oz, made famous by Judy Garland.
'Old Man River'
- music by Jerome Kern, words by Oscar Hammerstein II.
Steinway
- a famous maker of pianos, hence 'stomach Steinway' as a facetious term for an accordion.
Nautch girl
- a professional Indian dancing girl.
Pemmican
- dried pounded beef mixed with melted fat and flavoured with currents etc. for use by Arctic travellers.
Cape Dutch
- Afrikaans.