now with another, while
they in their turn chatted unconcernedly with one another.

Miss La Frime to Mrs. Humdrum: "You know how he got his professorship?
No? I thought every one knew that. The question the candidates had to
answer was, whether it was wiser during a long stay at a hotel to tip the
servants pretty early, or to wait till the stay was ended. All the other
candidates took one side or the other, and argued their case in full.
Hanky sent in three lines to the effect that the proper thing to do would
be to promise at the beginning, and go away without giving. The King,
with whom the appointment rested, was so much pleased with this answer
that he gave Hanky the professorship without so much as looking . . . "

Professor Gabb to Mrs. Humdrum: "Oh no, I can assure you there is no
truth in it. What happened was this. There was the usual crowd, and the
people cheered Professor after Professor, as he stood before them in the
great Bridgeford theatre and satisfied them that a lump of butter which
had been put into his mouth would not melt in it. When Hanky's turn came
he was taken suddenly unwell, and had to leave the theatre, on which
there was a report in the house that the butter had melted; this was at
once stopped by the return of the Professor. Another piece of butter was
put into his mouth, and on being taken out after the usual time, was
found to shew no signs of having . . . "

Miss Bawl to Mr. Principal Crank: . . . "The Manager was so tall, you
know, and then there was that little mite of an assistant manager--it
_was_ so funny. For the assistant manager's voice was ever so much
louder than the . . . "

Mrs. Bawl to Professor Gabb: . . . "Live for art! If I had to choose
whether I would lose either art or science, I have not the smallest
hesitation in saying that I would lose . . . "

The Mayor and Dr. Downie: . . . "That you are to be canonised at the
close of the year along with Professors Hanky and Panky?"

"I believe it is his Majesty's intention that the Professors and myself
are to head the list of the Sunchild's Saints, but we have all of us got
to . . . "

And so on, and so on, buzz, buzz, buzz, over the whole table. Presently
Yram turned to Hanky and said--

"By the way, Professor, you must have found it very cold up at the
statues, did you not? But I suppose the snow is all gone by this time?"

"Yes, it was cold, and though the winter's snow is melted, there had been
a re