it fell to
another to reply, "To hear Salisbury Court."

This, O my broad-minded ancestor of the first degree--an aimless
challenge coupled with the name of one recognisable spot, replied to by
the haphazard retort of another place, frequently in no way joined to
it, was regarded as an exceptionally fascinating sit-round game by a
company of elderly barbarians!

"What couldn't Walbrook?" it might be, and "Such Cheapside," would be
deemed a praiseworthy solution. "When did King's Bench Walk?" would
be asked, and to reply, "When Gray's Inn Road," covered the one with
overpowering acclamation. "Bevis Marks only an Inner Circle at The
Butts; why?" was a demand of such elaborate complexity that (although
this person was lured out of his self-imposed restraint by the silence
of all round, and submerging his intelligence to an acquired level,
unobtrusively suggested, "Because Aylesbury ducks, perchance") it fell
to the one propounding to announce, "Because St. John's Wood Shoot-up
Hill."

Admittedly it is written, "When the shutter is fastened the girdle is
loosened," but it is as truly said, "Not in the head, nor yet in the
feet, but in the organs of digestion does wisdom reside," and even in
jesting the middle course of neither an excessive pride nor an absolute
weak-mindedness is to be observed. With what concrete pangs of acute
mental distress would this person ever behold his immaculate progenitor
taking part in a similar sit-round game with an assembly of worthy
mandarins, the one asking questions of meaningless import, as "Why
did they Hangkow?" and another replying in an equal strain of no
consecutiveness, "In order to T'in Tung!"

At length a person who is spoken of as having formerly been the captain
of a band of warriors turned to me with an unsuspected absence of
ferocity and said, "Your countrymen are very proficient in the art
of epigram, are they not, Mr. Kong? Will you not, in turn, therefore,
favour us with an example?" Whereupon several maidens exclaimed with
engaging high temper, "Oh yes; do ask us some funny Chinese riddles, Mr.
Kong!"

"Assuredly there are among us many classical instances of the light
sayings which require matching," I replied, gratified that I should have
the opportunity of showing their superiority. "One, harmonious
beyond the blend of challenge and retort, is as follows--'The Phoenix
embroidered upon the side of the shoe: When the shoe advances the
Phoenix leaps forward.'"

"