Has achieved but the glory of laming a duck.{1}

1 In Stock Exchange slang, Bulls are speculators for a rise,
Bears for a fall. A lame duck is a man who cannot pay his
dififerences, and is said to waddle off. The patriotism of
the money-market is well touched by Ponsard, in his comedy
_La Bourse_: Acte iv. Scene 3--

'With two nations in arms, friends impartial to both,
To raise each a loan we shall be nothing loth;
We will lend them the pay, to fit men for the fray;
But shall keep ourselves carefully out of the way.

'We have small taste for championing maids in distress:
For State we care little: for Church we care less:
To Premium and Bonus our homage we plight:
"Percentage!" we cry: and "A fig for the right!"

''Twixt Saint George and the Dragon we settle it thus:
Which has scrip above par is the Hero for us:
For a turn in the market, the Dragon's red gorge
Shall have our free welcome to swallow Saint George.'

Now, God save our Queen, and if aught should occur
To peril the crown or the safety of her,
God send that the leader, who faces the foe,
May have more of King Richard than Moses and Co.

ALFRED
Quand nous sommes vainqueurs, dire qu'on a baisse!
Si nous etions battus, on aurait donc-hausse?

DELATOUR
On a craint qu'un succes, si brillant pour la France,
De la paix qu'on revait n'eloignat l'esperance.

ALFRED
Cette Bourse, morbleu! n'a donc rien dans le cour!
Ventre affame n'a point d'oreilles ... pour l'honneur!
Aussi je ne veux plus jouer--qu'apres ma noce--
Et j'attends Waterloo pour me mettre a la hausse.

CHAPTER XIX

A SYMPOSIUM--TRANSATLANTIC TENDENCIES--AFTER-DINNER LECTURES--EDUCATION

Trincq est ung mot panomphee, celebre et entendu de toutes
nations, et nous signifie, beuuez. Et ici maintenons que non
rire, ains boyre est le propre de l'homme. Je ne dy boyre
simplement et absolument, car aussy bien boyvent les bestes;
je dy boyre vin bon et fraiz.--Rabelais: 1. v. c. 45.

Some guests remained. Some departed and returned. Among these was Mr.
MacBorrowdale. One day after dinner, on one of his reappearances, Lord
Curryfin said to him--

'Well, Mr. MacBorrowdale, in your recent observations, have you found
anything likely to satisfy Jack of Dover, if he were prosecuting his
inquiry among u