Business done.—Committee appointed to inquire into case of the Pirate Peer.
Thursday.—The longer Major Rasch lives, the fainter grows his faith in the nobility of human nature. To-night brought down with him a few carefully selected, choice specimens of the American pea-bug. Naturally expected everybody would welcome the little stranger. Especially interesting to Minister of Agriculture. Being a man of taste, Major had installed the insects in dainty bon-bon box; swung it lightly between forefinger and thumb as he inquired what Herbert Gardner meant to do about it? "Will the right hon. gentleman," he said, "have consignments of peas coming from America marked as such, and put in bond, so that the bugs may develop there, and not in the British market garden?"
At this way of putting it, Squire Of Malwood pricked up his ears. To quick instincts of Chancellor of the Exchequer bugs in bond suggested new field of taxation. Made a note of it.
The Grand Young Gardner smiled at the claims of long descent put forward by Rasch on behalf of the tenants of his bon-bon box. "Nothing new in it," he said superciliously. "Known the creature all my official life. Your so-called American pea-bug is nothing more than the pea and bean weevil. Came over with the Conqueror. Agricultural Department even now publishing leaflet describing manners and customs of the early settler, and suggesting various ways of soothing its last moments."
"I may have been Rash."
This hard; sorer still conduct of Members immediately near the Major. Began to sheer off, putting him, so to speak, in quarantine.
"I don't care," said Tomlinson, "whether its American pea-bugs or the pea and bean weevil. What I do say is that no man has any business to bring such things with him into the social circle."
"I may have been Rash," said the Major humbly.
"You are," said Tomlinson tartly.