ng towards the bottom of
the table, is observed to grow very restless and fidgety, and to evince
strong indications of some latent desire to give vent to his feelings in
a speech, which the wary Tupple at once perceiving, determines to
forestall by speaking himself. He, therefore, rises again, with an air
of solemn importance, and trusts he may be permitted to propose another
toast (unqualified approbation, and Mr. Tupple proceeds). He is sure
they must all be deeply impressed with the hospitality--he may say the
splendour--with which they have been that night received by their worthy
host and hostess. (Unbounded applause.) Although this is the first
occasion on which he has had the pleasure and delight of sitting at that
board, he has known his friend Dobble long and intimately; he has been
connected with him in business--he wishes everybody present knew Dobble
as well as he does. (A cough from the host.) He (Tupple) can lay his
hand upon his (Tupple's) heart, and declare his confident belief that a
better man, a better husband, a better father, a better brother, a better
son, a better relation in any relation of life, than Dobble, never
existed. (Loud cries of 'Hear!') They have seen him to-night in the
peaceful bosom of his family; they should see him in the morning, in the
trying duties of his office. Calm in the perusal of the morning papers,
uncompromising in the signature of his name, dignified in his replies to
the inquiries of stranger applicants, deferential in his behaviour to his
superiors, majestic in his deportment to the messengers. (Cheers.) When
he bears this merited testimony to the excellent qualities of his friend
Dobble, what can he say in approaching such a subject as Mrs. Dobble? Is
it requisite for him to expatiate on the qualities of that amiable woman?
No; he will spare his friend Dobble's feelings; he will spare the
feelings of his friend--if he will allow him to have the honour of
calling him so--Mr. Dobble, junior. (Here Mr. Dobble, junior, who has
been previously distending his mouth to a considerable width, by
thrusting a particularly fine orange into that feature, suspends
operations, and assumes a proper appearance of intense melancholy). He
will simply say--and he is quite certain it is a sentiment in which all
who hear him will readily concur--that his friend Dobble is as superior
to any man he ever knew, as Mrs. Dobble is far beyond any woman he ever
saw (except her daught