smiling; "but I rejoice, O
Brown, in that they thrashed the Carthaginians, and not, as you
seem to think, in that they being aristocrats, thrashed the
Carthaginians; for oligarchs they were not at this time."

"At any rate they answer to the Spartans in the struggle, and the
Carthaginians to the Athenians; and yet all your sympathies are
with the Romans to-night in the Punic Wars, though they were with
the Athenians before dinner."

"I deny your position. The Carthaginians were nothing but a great
trading aristocracy--with a glorious family or two I grant you,
like that of Hannibal; but, on the whole, a dirty,
bargain-driving, buy-cheap-and-sell-dear aristocracy--of whom the
world was well rid. They like the Athenians indeed! Why, just
look what the two people have left behind them-"

"Yes," interrupted Tom; "but we only know the Carthaginians
through the reports of their destroyers. Your heroes trampled
them out with hoofs of iron."

"Do you think the Roman hoof could have trampled out their Homer
if they ever had one?" said Hardy. "The Romans conquered Greece
too, remember."

"But Greece was never so near beating them."

"True. But I hold to my point. Carthage was the mother of all
huxters, compassing sea and land to sell her wares."

"And no bad line of life for a nation. At least Englishmen ought
to think so."

"No they ought not; at least if _'Punica fides'_ is to be the
rule of trade. Selling any amount of Brummagem wares never did
nation or man much good, and never will. Eh, Grey?"

Grey winced at being appealed to, but remarked that he hoped the
Church would yet be able to save England from the fate of Tyre or
Carthage, the great trading nations of the old world; and then,
swallowing his tea, and looking as if he had been caught robbing
a henroost, he made a sudden exit, and hurried away out of
college to the night school.

"What a pity he is so odd and shy," said Tom; "I should so like
to know more of him."

"It _is_ a pity. He is much better when he is alone with me. I
think he has heard from some of the set that you are a furious
Protestant, and sees an immense amount of stiff-neckedness in
you."

"But about England and Carthage," said Tom, shirking the subject
of his own peculiarities; "you don't really think us like them?
It gave me a turn to hear you translating 'Punica fides' into
Brummagem wares just now.

"I think that successful trade is our rock ahead. The devil who
holds new mark