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" I don't know about that," returned the Idiot. " As I understand it, it is an old maxim of the law that the greater the truth the greater the libel. Mrs. Pedagog ought to receive a million— By-the-way, what have we this morning?" " We have steak and fried potatoes, sir," replied Mrs. Pedagog, frigidly. "And I desire to add, that one who criticises the table as much as you do would do well to get his meals outside." " That, Mrs. Pedagog, is not the point. The difficulty I find here lies in getting my meals inside," said the Idiot. "Mary, you may bring in the mush," observed Mrs. Pedagog, pursing her lips, as she always did when she wished to show that she was offended. " Yes, Mary," put in the School - Master; " let us have the mush as quickly as possible —and may it not be quite such mushy mush as the remarks we have just been favored with by our talented friend the Idiot." "You overwhelm me with your compliments, Mr. Pedagog," replied the Idiot, cheerfully. " A flatterer like you should live in a flat." " Has your friend completed his article on old jokes yet?" queried the Bibliomaniac, with a smile and some apparent irrelevance. "Yes and no," said tbe Idiot. "He has completed his labors on it by giving it up. He is a very thorough sort of a fellow, and .he intended to make the article comprehensive, but he found he couldn't, because, judging from comments of men like you, for instance, he was forced to conclude that there never was a new joke. But, as I was saying the other morning—" " Do you really remember what you say ?" sneered Mr. Pedagog. "You must have a great memory for trifles." "Sir, I shall never forget you," said the Idiot. "But to revert to what I wassaying the other morning, I'd like to begin life all over again, so that I could prep...
