Jog, you
don't think half enough of yourself. You are far too easily set aside. My
word! but I know some people who would give themselves pretty airs if their
husband was chairman of a board of guardians, and trustee of I don't know
how many of Her Majesty's turnpike roads,' Mrs. Jog here thinking of her
sister Mrs. Springwheat, who, she used to say, had married a mere farmer.
'I tell you, Jog, you're far too humble, you don't think half enough of
yourself.'

'Well, but, my (puff) dear, you don't (puff) consider that all people ain't
(puff) fond of (wheeze) children,' observed Jogglebury, after a pause.
'Indeed, I've (puff) observed that some (wheeze) don't like them.'

'Oh, but those will be nasty little brats, like Mrs. James Wakenshaw's, or
Mrs. Tom Cheek's. But such children as ours! such charmers! such delights!
there isn't a man in the county, from the Lord-Lieutenant downwards, who
wouldn't be proud--who wouldn't think it a compliment--to be asked to be
god-papa to such children. I tell you what, Mr. Jogglebury Crowdey, it
would be far better to get them rich god-papas and god-mammas than to leave
them a whole house full of sticks.'

'Well, but, my (puff) dear, the (wheeze) sticks will prove very (wheeze)
hereafter,' replied Jogglebury, bridling up at the imputation on his hobby.

'I _hope_ so,' replied Mrs. Jogglebury, in a tone of incredulity.

'Well, but, my (puff) dear, I (wheeze) you that they will be--indeed
(puff), I may (wheeze) say that they (puff) are. It was only the other
(puff) day that (wheeze) Patrick O'Fogo offered me five-and-twenty (wheeze)
shillings for my (puff) blackthorn Daniel O'Connell, which is by no means
so (puff) good as the (wheeze) wild-cherry one, or, indeed (puff), as the
yew-tree one that I (wheeze) out of Spankerley Park.'

'I'd have taken it if I'd been you,' observed Mrs. Jogglebury.

'But he's (puff) worth far more,' retorted Jogglebury angrily; 'why
(wheeze) Lumpleg offered me as much for Disraeli.'

'Well, I'd have taken it, too,' rejoined Mrs. Jogglebury.

'But I should have (wheeze) spoilt my (puff) set,' replied the gibbey-stick
man. 'S'pose any (wheeze) body was to (puff) offer me five guineas a (puff)
piece for the (puff) pick of my (puff) collection--my (puff) Wellingtons,
my (wheeze) Napoleons, my (puff) Byrons, my (wheeze) Walter Scotts, my
(puff) Lord Johns, d'ye think I'd take it?'

'I should hope so,' replied Mrs. Jogglebury.

'I should (puff) do no suc