Doctor. [After a pause, laughing.] Well, you have all the old doctrines. It is only fair you should have all the old jokes too.
Smith. [Laughing also.] By the way, you call it a conjuring trick that poor people should drink moderately.
Doctor. I call it a chemical discovery that alcohol is not a food.
Smith. You don't drink wine yourself?
Doctor. [Mildly startled.] Drink wine! Well—what else is there to drink?
Smith. So drinking decently is a conjuring trick that you can do, anyhow?
Doctor. [Still good-humouredly.] Well, well, let us hope so. Talking about conjuring tricks, there is to be conjuring and all kinds of things here this afternoon.
Smith. Conjuring? Indeed? Why is that?
Enter Hastings with a letter in each hand.
Hastings. His Grace will be with you presently. He asked me to deal with the business matter first of all.