“Hem!” said Ricochet.

“‘Under the head of “Urban Servitudes—’”

Ricochet: “Hem!”

“‘That a man,’ (continued Mr. Justice Pangloss), ‘shall receive upon his house or land the flumen or stillicidium of his neighbour—’”

“Hem!” coughed Mr. Ricochet, in a very high key; I verily believe in imitation of that wonderful comedian, J. C. Clarke.

Then Mr. Justice Pangloss proceeded, to the admiration of the whole Bar:

“‘The difference,’ says Vinnius, in his Commentary on this passage, between the flumen and the stillicidium is this—the latter is the rain falling from the roof by drops (guttatim et stillatim).’”

“Hem!” from the whole Bar.

“‘The flumen’—”

“I think,” said Mr. Justice Doughty, “you are entitled to a rule on that point, Mr. Ricochet.”