went, I hear, for half its value," remarked some one.

"A great deal above that, I assure you," said Dunn. "Indeed, as property
is selling now, I should not call the price a bad one."

"Evidently Mr. Kellett was not of your mind," said the former speaker,
laughing.

"I 'm told he burst into court to-day and abused every one, from the
Bench to the crier, called the sale a robbery, and the judge a knave."

"Not exactly that. He did, it is true, interrupt the order of the Court,
but the sale was already concluded. He used very violent language, and
so far forgot his respect for the Bench as to incur the penalty of a
committal."

"And was he committed?" asked the Secretary.

"He was; but rather as a measure of precaution than punishment. The
Court suspected him to be insane." Here Dunn leaned over and whispered
a few words in the Secretary's ear. "Nor was it without difficulty,"
muttered he, in a low tone. "He continued to inveigh in the most violent
tone against us all; declared he 'd never leave the Jail without a
public apology from the Bench; and, in fact, conducted himself so
extravagantly that I half suspected the judge to be right, and that
there was some derangement in the case."

"I remember Paul Kellett at the head of the grand jury of his county,"
said one.

"He was high sheriff the first year I went that circuit," said the
judge.

"And how has it ended?--where is he now?" whispered the Secretary.

"I persuaded him to come home here with me, and after a little calming
down he became reasonable and has gone to his own house, but only within
the last hour. It was that my servant whispered me, when he last brought
in the wine."

"And I suppose, after all," said the Poor-Law Commissioner, "there was
nothing peculiar in this instance; his case was one of thousands."

"Quite true, sir," said Lindley. "Statistical tables can take no note
of such-like applicants for out-door relief; all are classified as
paupers."

"It must be acknowledged," said the Secretary, in a tone of half rebuke,
"that the law has worked admirably; there is but one opinion on that
subject in England."

"I should be greatly surprised were it otherwise," said Lindley; "I
never heard that the Cornish fishermen disparaged shipwrecks!"

"Who is that gentleman?" whispered the Secretary to Dunn.

"A gentleman very desirous to be Crown Prosecutor at Melbourne," said
Dunn, with a smile.

"He expresses himself somewhat freely," whisper