STRAY FANCIES 161 



a string on the end of which was a bent pin and his 

 bait. Without much ado he cast his line, and 

 very quickly pulled out quite a nice fish. The boy 

 was delighted, and with pride showed the gentle- 

 man his catch, who very quickly replied : 



" Well, that^s the b limit ! " 



The boy presently started for home, and took 

 his haul straight to his mother, who said : 



" What a nice fish ! What do you call it, 

 Charlie ? " 



" I don't know, mother,'* replied the boy, but 

 when I pulled it out the gentleman who was 

 fishing next to me called it the b limit." 



A certain noble lord whom I knew in the 'fifties 

 called on a friend in London. The lord's appear- 

 ance was that of a typical John Bull, 

 The peer -^ ^ 



and the with a cut-away tail coat. The foot- 



b66r 



man, on answering the door, promptly 

 said : 



" You are too late, mate, the butler's place is 

 gone. Would you mind fetching me a pint of 

 half-and-half just round the corner ? " which my 

 lord did. On his return he handed the beer to 

 the footman, at the same time congratulating him 

 on not drinking his master's beer when he was on 

 board wages, and then presented him with his card. 

 Curtain ! ! 

 11 



