He is, I believe, a member of par--par--par--am I right, Sir John ?--a member of--" "Parliament, my lord--an M.P." "Ay--I thought I had it--an M.P., or a member of Parliament, in his own country, which, I dare say now, is some such thing among his people, as a public proclaimer of those laws which come from his majesty's eldest first cousin of the masculine gender, may be among us.

Some such thing--eh--now--eh--is it not, Sir John ?" "I dare say it is, my lord." "All very true, Chatterino," put in one of the young monikins, with a very long, elaborated tail, which he carried nearly perpendicular--"but what would be even a lawmaker--to say nothing of law-BREAKERS like ourselves--among men! You should remember, my dear fellow, that a mere title, or a profession, is not the criterion of true greatness; but that the prodigy of a village may be a very common monikin in town." "Poh-poh"-- interrupted Lord Chatterino, "thou art ever for refining, Hightail--Sir John Goldencalf is a very respectable person in the island of--a--a--a--what do you call that said island of yours, Goldencalf ?--a--a--" "Great Britain, my lord." "Ay, Great Breeches sure enough; yet, he is a respectable person--I can take it upon myself to say, with confidence, a very respectable person in Great Breeches.

I dare say he owns no small portion of the island himself.

How much, now, Sir John, if the truth were told ?" "Only the estate and village of Householder, my lord, with a few scattered manors here and there." "Well, that is a very pretty thing, there can be no doubt--then you have money at use ?" "And who is the debtor ?" sneeringly inquired the jack-a-napes Hightail.
"No other, my Lord Hightail, than the realm of Great Britain." "Exquisite, that, egad! A noble's fortune in the custody of the realm of a--Greek--a--" "Great Breeches," interrupted my Lord Chatterino, who, notwithstanding he swore he was excessively angry with his friend for his obstinate incredulity, very evidently had to exercise some forbearance to keep from joining in the general laugh.

"It is a very respectable country, I do protest; and I scarcely remember to have tasted better gooseberries than they grow in that very island." "What! have they really gardens, Chatterino ?" "Certainly--after a fashion--and houses, and public conveyances--and even universities." "You do not mean to say, certainly, that they have a system!" "Why, as to system, I believe they are a little at sixes and sevens.