e family, or in other words was always invited
by Mrs. Budden, whether Mr. Budden liked it or not, 'if you'll tell me
what is the meaning of _be_.'

'Be?' said the prodigy, after a little hesitation--'an insect that
gathers honey.'

'No, dear,' frowned Mrs. Budden; 'B double E is the substantive.'

'I don't think he knows much yet about _common_ substantives,' said the
smirking gentleman, who thought this an admirable opportunity for letting
off a joke. 'It's clear he's not very well acquainted with _proper
names_. He! he! he!'

'Gentlemen,' called out Mr. Budden, from the end of the table, in a
stentorian voice, and with a very important air, 'will you have the
goodness to charge your glasses? I have a toast to propose.'

'Hear! hear!' cried the gentlemen, passing the decanters. After they had
made the round of the table, Mr. Budden proceeded--'Gentlemen; there is
an individual present--'

'Hear! hear!' said the little man with red whiskers.

'_Pray_ be quiet, Jones,' remonstrated Budden.

'I say, gentlemen, there is an individual present,' resumed the host, 'in
whose society, I am sure we must take great delight--and--and--the
conversation of that individual must have afforded to every one present,
the utmost pleasure.' ['Thank Heaven, he does not mean me!' thought
Minns, conscious that his diffidence and exclusiveness had prevented his
saying above a dozen words since he entered the house.] 'Gentlemen, I am
but a humble individual myself, and I perhaps ought to apologise for
allowing any individual feeling of friendship and affection for the
person I allude to, to induce me to venture to rise, to propose the
health of that person--a person that, I am sure--that is to say, a person
whose virtues must endear him to those who know him--and those who have
not the pleasure of knowing him, cannot dislike him.'

'Hear! hear!' said the company, in a tone of encouragement and approval.

'Gentlemen,' continued Budden, 'my cousin is a man who--who is a relation
of my own.' (Hear! hear!) Minns groaned audibly. 'Who I am most happy
to see here, and who, if he were not here, would certainly have deprived
us of the great pleasure we all feel in seeing him. (Loud cries of
hear!) Gentlemen, I feel that I have already trespassed on your
attention for too long a time. With every feeling--of--with every
sentiment of--of--'

'Gratification'--suggested the friend of the family.

'--Of gratification, I beg to prop