says apposite
things (in the way of reproof or sarcasm) THAT HE DON'T MEAN. Astonished
when they are explained to him."

Here is a fancy that I remember him to have been more than once bent
upon making use of: but the opportunity never came. "The two men to be
guarded against, as to their revenge. One, whom I openly hold in some
serious animosity, whom I am at the pains to wound and defy, and whom I
estimate as worth wounding and defying;--the other, whom I treat as a
sort of insect, and contemptuously and pleasantly flick aside with my
glove. But, it turns out to be the latter who is the really dangerous
man; and, when I expect the blow from the other, it comes from _him_."

We have the master hand in the following bit of dialogue, which takes
wider application than that for which it appears to have been intended.

"'There is some virtue in him too.'

"'Virtue! Yes. So there is in any grain of seed in a seedsman's
shop--but you must put it in the ground, before you can get any good out
of it.'

"'Do you mean that _he_ must be put in the ground before any good comes
of _him_?'

"'Indeed I do. You may call it burying him, or you may call it sowing
him, as you like. You must set him in the earth, before you get any good
of him.'"

One of the entries is a list of persons and places meant to have been
made subjects for special description, and it will awaken regret that
only as to one of them (the Mugby Refreshments) his intention was
fulfilled. "A Vestryman. A Briber. A Station Waiting-Room. Refreshments
at Mugby. A Physician's Waiting-Room. The Royal Academy. An Antiquary's
house. A Sale Room. A Picture Gallery (for sale). A Waste-paper Shop. A
Post-Office. A Theatre."

All will have been given that have particular interest or value, from
this remarkable volume, when the thoughts and fancies I proceed to
transcribe have been put before the reader.

* * * * *

"The man who is incapable of his own happiness. Or who is always in
pursuit of happiness. Result, Where is happiness to be found then?
Surely not Everywhere? Can that be so, after all? Is _this_ my
experience?"

* * * * *

"The people who persist in defining and analysing their (and everybody
else's) moral qualities, motives and what not, at once in the narrowest
spirit and the most lumbering manner;--as if one should put up an
enormous scaffolding for the building of a pigstye."