A ' MATUTINAL HOUR.' 151 



it : and these three fair harvests have laid us now as 

 flat as we could lie, if the worst had come to the 

 worst.' 



'It seems then that to inherit a falling market 

 is worse than to be born into a low one. You're 

 right. The latter admits of hope ; the other is con- 

 tinued mis-calculation, and disappointment: and 

 something worse than either.' 



' And what's that ? ' 



' I won't tell you till after breakfast ! Come, 

 you old Grumbler, it's the driest subject in Creation , 

 and will take you three cups of hot coffee to get it 

 down. You shan't come into my Sanctum with 

 those boots boots ! why, they're like barges, sunk 

 to water's-edge ! You remind me of a certain Mr. 

 Demos of a place called Athens, a very noted gentle- 

 man in days by-gone 



'T was ask'd through all the quarter, 



' Came you in Soots, sir, or in Soots 

 By Land, sir, or by Water ? ' * 



off with 'em ! they shall be cooked, under the mutton 

 chops, and come in again with the muffins ! You're 

 in close custody ; so peel off that patrimonial-looking 



* Aristophanes, Equites, 321. The translation of the pun is 

 Mitchell's. 



