[Marie:]
When there's a party held upstairs,
One of those upper ten affairs,
[Floot:]
William the butler hears it all,
Whispers it round the servants' hall!
[Mrs. Blacker:]
Somebody told a tale one night
(Ladies were not about),
[Lord Bicester:]
All of us heard that tale all right--
How did the thing leak out?
[All:]
Well,
[Floot:]
The butler told the footman,
[Marie:]
The footman told the cook,
[Mrs. Blacker:]
The cook repeated, I am much afraid,
[Marie:]
The whole caboodle to the parlour-maid;
[Lord Bicester:]
The page boy roared with laughter,
[Mrs. Blacker:]
The tweeny shed a tear,
[Marie:]
Oh! wouldn't you like to know, ho! ho!
[All:]
What did the butler hear?
[Mrs. Blacker:]
Yesterday afternoon at four,
Master went out and slammed the door;
[Marie:]
Missis did not appear to mind
(We see her peeping round the blind!)
[Lord Bicester:]
Soon there arrives a gay young spark,
Stops for an hour or so,
[Floot:]
Sat there, and sat there in the dark--
'Ow did we come to know?
[All:]
Well,
[Floot:]
The butler told the footman,
[Lord Bicester:]
The footman told the cook,
[Mrs. Blacker:]
The cook repeated, I am much afraid,
[Marie:]
The whole caboodle to the parlour-maid;
[Mrs. Blacker:]
The page got so excited,
[Lord Bicester:]
He caught the housemaid's knee!
[Marie:]
Now wouldn't you like to know, ho! ho!
[Floot:]
What did the butler see?
[Lord Bicester:]
When we was in the country seat,
All of the guests were most élite,
[Mrs. Blacker:]
Plenty of tips we thought we'd get,
Them being such a classy set!
[Marie:]
William the butler sez, sez 'e,
(William's a trifle hot!)
[Floot:]
"You'd better leave the tips to me,
Then we'll divide the lot!"
[All:]
So,
[Floot:]
The butler tipped the footman,
[Lord Bicester:]
The footman tipped the cook,
[Marie:]
The cook was stingy, I am much afraid,
[Mrs. Blacker:]
When she divided with the parlour-maid;
[Lord Bicester:]
The page boy got a shilling,
[Mrs. Blacker:]
The tweeny fourpence (net),
[Marie:]
Oh, wouldn't we like to know, ho! ho!
[Floot:]
What did the butler get?