Vienna, to which place all the prime is sent. For
the third time I ask you, O young man of Horncastle! why does your
Government always send fools to represent it at Vienna?"

"And for the third time I tell you, O son of Almus! that I cannot say;
perhaps, however, to drink the sweet Tokay wine; fools, you know, always
like sweet things."

"Good," said the Hungarian; "it must be so, and when I return to Hungary,
I will state to my countrymen your explanation of a circumstance which
has frequently caused them great perplexity. Oh! the English are a
clever people, and have a deep meaning in all they do. What a vision of
deep policy opens itself to my view! they do not send their fool to
Vienna in order to gape at processions, and to bow and scrape at a base
Papist court, but to drink at the great dinners the celebrated Tokay of
Hungary, which the Hungarians, though they do not drink it, are very
proud of, and by doing so to intimate the sympathy which the English
entertain for their fellow religionists of Hungary. Oh! the English are
a deep people."

CHAPTER XL

The Horncastle Welcome--Tzernebock and Bielebock.

The pipe of the Hungarian had, for some time past, exhibited considerable
symptoms of exhaustion, little or no ruttling having been heard in the
tube, and scarcely a particle of smoke, drawn through the syphon, having
been emitted from the lips of the possessor. He now rose from his seat,
and going to a corner of the room, placed his pipe against the wall, then
striding up and down the room, he cracked his fingers several times,
exclaiming, in a half-musing manner, "Oh, the deep nation, which, in
order to display its sympathy for Hungary, sends its fool to Vienna, to
drink the sweet wine of Tokay!"

The jockey, having looked for some time at the tall figure with evident
approbation, winked at me with that brilliant eye of his on which there
was no speck, saying, "'Did you ever see a taller fellow?"

"Never," said I.

"Or a finer?"

"That's another question," said I, "which I am not so willing to answer;
however, as I am fond of truth, and scorn to flatter, I will take the
liberty of saying that I have seen a finer."

"A finer! where?" said the jockey; whilst the Hungarian, who appeared to
understand what we said, stood still, and looked full at me.

"Amongst a strange set of people," said I, "whom, if I were to name, you
would, I dare say, only laugh at me."

"Who be they?" said the jocke