family night

Evening at the chateau.
Heelers and the Mammy in the front room contemplating a television set.
Enter Doctor Barn stage left.
"I hear you haven't been feeling well," sez the Herr Doktor all businesslike to the Mammy.
"Who told you that?" sez the Mammy sharpish.
In his armchair browsing before the sexevision, the mighty Heelers stirs slightly.
A cold and clammy hand has fastened around his heart.
Doctor Barn's reply to the Mammy's question is feeble in the extreme. I mean feeble-issimus.
"Er, no one told me," sayeth the good doctor.
Ireland's greatest living poet concentrates hard on his Southpark.
He doesn't approve of Southpark but he likes to watch it occasionally to keep himself informed on what it is exactly he doesn't approve of.
It also helps in the present circumstances to have something to concentrate on when a nearby conversation that is apt to take a dangerous turn, is gathering momentum.
Anyhoo.
The Mammy's voice takes on the tone of a grand inquisitor.
A fairly bad tempered grand inquisitor.
"Did that ------ tell you?"
I don't look up.
I rarely look up when I hear that word.
Doctor Barn's reply again lacks credibility.
"Er, no," sez he.
The Mammy fixes me with a rather baneful stare.
I know this even though I haven't looked up.
"------," sez she.
And there our story ends.