Made stupendous speech last night; literally gorged the
House; to-night picks up fragments and provides another feast: six
baskets wouldn't hold it.
"Wish, TOBY, dear boy," he said, sinking back in his seat after
delivering his second speech, cunningly grafted on an Amendment, "we
could carry this over next week. I could easily make a speech a day.
Remember when I was once in Ireland, asked a tenant how he liked the
new agent, who was reputed to be very able business man. 'Well,'
said my acquaintance, 'I don't know about his business daylings, but
for blasphaymious language, he's _au revoir_.' On constitutional
questions, TOBY, I may, with all modesty, say I'm _au revoir_."
_Business done._--Anglo-German Treaty agreed to.
* * * * *
MR. PUNCH'S DICTIONARY OF PHRASES.
FRIENDLY COMMENTS ON CHARACTER AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
"_She is never at a loss for a clever answer;_" i.e., "A cat whose
claws are always out."
"_A little stand-offish to strangers, but wonderfully winning when one
really knows him;_" i.e., "Which one need never do, thank goodness!"
LEGAL.
"_As your Lordship pleases;_" i.e., "As a Judge, you are a stupid,
self-sufficient dolt; but so long as my client, the solicitor, gets
his costs, it doesn't matter a jot to me or him _what_ you decide!"
"_With your Lordship's permission, my Junior will settle the
minutes;_" i.e., "And so save us both the trouble of apportioning, in
the customary perfunctory fashion, the oyster to the solicitors, and
the shells to the clients.
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