622 A DINNER AT POP L All WALK 



as the metal. After sundry praises from his mother, and various 

 admonitions as to his behaviour from his pa, he was introduced to his 

 godfather. 



" Well, my little fellow you're a fine boy, an't you ?" said Minns, 

 as happy as a torn-tit upon bird-lime. 



" Yes." 



" How old are you ?" 



" Eight, next We'nsday. How old are you ? ft 



" Alexander," interrupted his mother, " how dare you ask Mr. 

 Minns how old he is ?" 



" He asked me how old 7 was," said the precocious darling, to whom 

 Minns had, from that moment, internally resolved he never would 

 bequeath one shilling. As scon as the titter occasioned by the ob- 

 servation had subsided, a little smirking man with red whiskers, sit- 

 ting at the bottom of the table, who, during the whole of dinner, 

 had been endeavouring to obtain a listener to some stories about She- 

 ridan, called out, with a very patronizing air " Alick, what part of 

 speech is be ?' 



" A verb." 



" That's a good boy," said Mrs. Bagshaw, with all a mother's 

 pride. " Now, you know what a verb is ?" 



" A verb is a word which signifies to be, to do, or to suffer ; as, I 

 am I rule I am ruled. Give me an apple, Ma/' 



" I'll give you an apple," replied the story-teller, who was clearly 

 one of those bores who are commonly called ' friends of the family,' 

 " if you'll tell me what is the meaning of, be." 



" Be ?" said the prodigy, after a little hesitation " an insect that 

 gathers honey." 



" No, dear," frowned Mrs. B., " B double E is the substantive." 



" I don't think he knows much yet about common substantives," 

 said the smirking gentleman, who thought this an admirable oppor- 

 tunity for letting off a joke : " It's clear he's not very well ac- 

 quainted with proper names. He ! he ! he !" 



" Gentlemen," called out Mr. Bagshaw, from the end of the table, 

 in a stentorian voice, and with a very important air, " will you have 

 the goodness to charge your glasses ? I have a toast to propose."" 



" Hear ! hear !" cried the gentlemen, passing the decanters. After 

 they had made the round of the table, Mr. Bagshaw proceeded 

 " Gentlemen : there is an individual present " 



" Hear! hear !" said the little man with the red whiskers. 



" Pray be quiet, Jones !" remonstrated Bagshaw, soito voce. 



" I say, gentlemen, there is an individual present," resumed the 

 host, " in whose society, I am sure, we must take great delight and 

 arid the conversation of that individual must have afforded to 

 every individual present the utmost pleasure." [" Thank Heaven he 

 does not mean me !" thought Minns, conscious that his diffidence and 

 exclusiveness had prevented his saying above a dozen words since 

 he entered the house.] " Gentlemen, I am but a humble individual 

 myself, and I perhaps ought to apologize for allowing any individual 

 feelings of friendship and affection for the person I allude to, to in- 

 duce me to venture to rise to propose the health of that person a 



