"My dear Sir, my very dear Sir," cried in trembling accents an old parson in a thread-bare coat, "I have a wife and family, and we are really starving."
"Ditto, Sir, ditto!" observed an elderly soldier who had evidently been an officer.
"And I am a widow, and must bring my poor children home from school, as I can no longer afford the expense of their education," so said an elderly dame in shabby mourning.
"But how can I help you?" asked the Hon. Crœsus. "What has brought you to this pass?"
"Why, you, Sir," returned the ex-officer. "You, Sir!"
"Come," said the Hon. Crœsus, waxing angry, "I advise you to be careful of the provisions of the Libel and Slander Act. You accuse me of bringing you to poverty! Why, I have never seen any of you in my life—never even heard of you!"
"But we have heard of you," they cried. "Yes, we have."
"We are all shareholders in the Bubble Babble Syndicate, Limited," explained the parson, tearfully, "and we have consequently lost every thing we had in the world."
"But what have I to do with it?" again asked the Hon. Crœsus. "Very sorry to hear of your misfortunes, but I don't see how I come in."
"Why you, Sir," exclaimed the ex-officer; "you, Sir, were one of the officials!"