an to stow away their gambling tools, look innocently
and vacantly at one another, as if a crisis was upon them they could
not understand. 'It's only us outsiders,' a voice replied, in most
harmless accents.

"'There! I told you we'd make a mess of it,--that the outsiders would
break in upon us' said Littlejohn, with a savage grimace, directing
himself to Dablerdeen, who it was now thought better to call
Grandmamma Fudge. The gentlemen outsiders were the honor-saving
committee from Finsbury, the members of which declared themselves
large stakeholders in the game at the Treasury. Grandmamma Fudge
thought it best to tell them, merely in a bluff sort of way, that
England's honor was safe in his keeping--that they must not be scared
about it; not however, until they found him pedling pills and other
quack medicines with the object of inducing Austria to be more
explicit. 'But, my old closeters, in we must come! Fearing you have got
the gout in the head, we are here to make an examination; things done
in secret have a dark look about them; and we, being the honor-saving
committee, have come to make a single suggestion, which is that my
lord of foreign affair memory is found wanting in firmness, and gets
very crooked when he is not kept straight, which is most unfortunate
in a diplomatist who smokes bad cigars all the day long. This said, it
must be remembered that old Finsbury feels sensitive of her rights and
liberties; closely allied to which is the honor of Old England. And
Christmas being near at hand, if the old Bear eat up all the Turkey,
Finsbury cannot keep it; and we have been honied down in a
good-natured sort of way long enough.' Poor old Grandmamma Fudge
looked dumbfounded, like at times we see a disconsolate individual,
who nipped in a hail-storm, mourns the loss of his umbrella. Like
death, it was necessary to keep close, tell the honor-saving committee
to maintain their usual spirits, and call again, when in respect to
their ancient character, they would get a listening for their
grievances. With this valuable solace, condescendingly bestowed by the
ancient gentlemen aforesaid did the committee go away happy, promise
to be very good, and keep Finsbury before the world.

"The gentlemen having been respectfully bowed out of Downing street, a
loud call was made to commence again at the dough-nuts. 'I say, bring
'em on,' rejoined I; Smooth 'll help (I'd been seated a little back,
watching the while) play at that