DULL AND UNEVENTFUL. 123 



" Shall I write and tell him my ideas, and also of 

 your veneration for prigs ? " 



" To what end, man brave ? You would only 

 confirm him that he is a step nearer Solomon, and 

 that, besides losing time, you keep strange company. 

 Eather tell him," said the Major demurely, "that on 

 walking the moors, we extract the square root of each 

 take of fish, and never pass a stream without calcu- 

 lating the cubic feet of water passing per minute." 



" I shall write discreetly, Major ; trust me." 



" And is my advice good for naught ? " I inquired. 



" Not for much, Samuel Abbott ; one might defer 

 to you in the matter of a black hackle or a bird's egg, 

 but in men and manners I'm a host, and the Major 

 improves." 



"And I am flattered; but I say, Hope, was not 

 Uncle Anthony the worthy who caned you for making 

 a kite of his manuscripts ?" 



"The identical gentleman." 



" Then, Major, take his opinions cum grano : he 

 bears malice." 



"Not for the thrashing I deserved it; yet the 

 cane might have been lighter. Anthony is simply a 

 very vexatious and pompous individual." 



" Is he a Papist, Hope ? " the Major asked. 



