"JOHN MORLEY. Humph! Delicate ground. Home Rule's got to be skimmed over. Only consistent Home-Ruler of the lot (sibi constat). Books by the dozen (lucidus ordo, etc.). French Revolution (res novæ). Ardent reformer (res renovanda radicitus). Ought to drag in impiger, iracundus, inexorabilis acer. Better not, on second thoughts.
"That's enough for one morning. Polish off the rest to-morrow. Mem. WEBSTER won two miles against Oxford (duo millia passuum; Oxoniensibus triumphatus, and a few japes about Isthmian games. Must fetch them). Remember to give ROBY one or two for himself over his Latin grammar. Mostly wrong. He'd better stick to making reels of cotton. SEELEY and the others can wait."
MR. HARDUP lately came into a large fortune, and changed his name to SKATTERKASH. He has started a coach, and drives four duns. "The duns used always to be after me," says he; "now I've got 'em before me. It's a pleasant reminder of unpleasant times."
KENSINGTON GARDENS.
(In the Summer Evenings, after Eight.)
As they are, always.—Closed. Within, a solitary policeman, moping. Without, the jaded citizens, gasping on a dusty road, and gazing through the iron railings at the cool groves within. A mile away, or nearer, some military bands (paid—by whom?—no matter—ultimately by tax-payers, who don't get much for their money), bored to death for lack of work, and any number of charitable institutions spending half their funds in advertising for more.
As they might be, sometimes.—Open. At the gate energetic policemen taking the shillings of eager citizens who crowd in to sit and smoke in the cool groves, lighted by inexpensive Chinese lanterns, and to listen to the music of the military bands, now alert, cheerful and occupied. Scattered through the cool groves a few energetic, but unobtrusive, policemen, seeing that everyone behaves as quietly as at the Fisheries or the Healtheries. And (the next morning) any number of charitable institutions receiving the shillings thus virtuously and profitably spent.