f the terms leaves it to be inferred that all may come
and go who may be so disposed."

"Your pardon, my lord; article 8 contains a direct allusion to
BISON-SKINS in the PLURAL, and under circumstances from which it
follows, by a just deduction, that it was contemplated that more than
ONE wearer of the said skins should be present at the said interview."

"Perfectly just, Sir John; but you will suffer me to observe that by
article 1, it is conditioned that there shall be an interview; and by
article 3, it is furthermore agreed that the said interview shall
be conducted 'on philosophical and liberal principles'; now, it need
scarcely be urged, good Sir John, that it would be the extreme of
illiberality to deny to one party any privilege that was possessed by
the other."

"Perfectly just my lord, were this an affair of mere courtesy; but legal
constructions must be made on legal principles, or else, as jurists and
diplomatists, we are all afloat on the illimitable ocean of conjecture."

"And yet article 10 expressly stipulates that 'no advantage shall be
taken by lawyers.' By considering articles 3 and 10 profoundly and in
conjunction, we learn that it was the intention of the negotiators
to spread the mantle of liberality, apart from all the subtleties and
devices of mere legal practitioners, over the whole proceedings. Permit
me, in corroboration of what is now urged, to appeal to the voices of
those who framed the very conditions about which we are now arguing. Did
YOU, sir," continued my Lord Chatterino, turning to Captain Poke, with
emphasis and dignity; "did you, sir, when you drew up this celebrated
article 10--did you deem that you were publishing authority of which the
lawyers could take advantage?"

A deep and very sonorous "No," was the energetic reply of Mr. Poke.

My Lord Chatterino, then turning, with equal grace, to the Doctor, first
diplomatically waving his tail three times, continued:

"And you, sir, in drawing up article 3, did you conceive that you were
supporting and promulgating illiberal principles?"

The question was met by a prompt negative, when the young noble paused,
and looked at me like one who had completely triumphed.

"Perfectly eloquent, completely convincing, irrefutably argumentative,
and unanswerably just, my lord," I put in; "but I must be permitted to
hint that the validity of all laws is derived from the enactment;
now the enactment, or, in the case of a treaty, the virtue