PISISTRATUS.—“Well, Mr. Squills, as you think so well of that investment, put your capital on it. I promise that you shall have every shilling of profit.”
MR. SQUILLS (hastily retreating behind the “Times”)—“I don’t think the Great Western can fall any lower, though it is hazardous; I can but venture a few hundreds—”
PISISTRATUS.—“On our land, Squills?—Thank you.”
MR. SQUILLS.—“No, no,—anything but that; on the Great Western.”
Pisistratus relaxes into gloom. Blanche steals up coaxingly, and gets snubbed for her pains.
A pause.
MR. CAXTON.—“There are two golden rules of life; one relates to the mind, and the other to the pockets. The first is, If our thoughts get into a low, nervous, aguish condition, we should make them change the air; the second is comprised in the proverb, ‘It is good to have two strings to one’s bow.’ Therefore, Pisistratus, I tell you what you must do,—Write a book!”
PISISTRATUS.—“Write a book! Against the abolition of the Corn Laws? Faith, sir, the mischief’s done! It takes a much better pen than mine to write down an act of parliament.”
MR. CAXTON.—“I only said, ‘Write a book.’ All the rest is the addition of your own headlong imagination.”
PISISTRATUS (with the recollection of The Great Book rising before him).—“Indeed, sir, I should think that that would just finish us!”