sseline de laine_)"--Delane being then unjustly suspected of having
been "nobbled" during his visits to my lady's _salon_, at the expense of
the "Times," of which he was at that time the editor. Nor would you
enjoy the discomfiture of a disputant of "Master Douglas" (as Thackeray
rather testily named him), who, after chaffing the great wit for the
unsteadiness of hand through which he broke a glass--which, he declared,
_he_ never did--received for reply an incredulous stare, and the cutting
enquiry, "Yet I suppose you look into one every morning?"

The latest outside _Punch_ dinner of importance which history has
thought well to set upon record is that given by Mr. Lucy ("Toby, M.P.")
in order to bring together for the first time Mr. Gladstone and the
members of that Staff which, as a body, had rendered him such steady and
invaluable support for nearly half a century. What wonder, then, that
the meeting was a great success, and that everyone present was on the
best of all possible terms with his fellow-diners? Yet "Moonshine,"
commenting on the event, declared with malicious good-humour that "It is
said that _Punch_ has been entertaining Mr. Gladstone. We don't believe
a word of it, as we can't conceive that _Punch_ ever entertained
anybody!" The object of this fair hit, the Editor of _Punch_, forthwith
sought out the epigrammatist, in the belief that here was a new humorist
whose services he might employ. He, however, who might have enlightened
him, wrongly believing that the motive of the quest was less friendship
than resentment, declined to give the desired information. But Mr. Punch
appropriately avenged the insult--by subsequently absorbing it as a
joke of his own, illustrated by the hand of Mr. Reginald Cleaver.

Perhaps to these revels of the merry clan should be added the jovial
meetings of the Moray Minstrels under the hospitable direction of Mr.
Arthur Lewis. And yet a stronger claim on the memory of those who now
bear Mr. Punch's _baton_ between them are the meetings referred to in
the letter from the late Sir A. H. Layard, which I received shortly
before his death: "I was intimately acquainted with Tom Taylor, R.
Doyle, and other contributors to _Punch_, and constantly met them at
Taylor's table; but I do not remember to have dined at a '_Punch_ Table'
on one of the Wednesday evenings. You may probably be aware that they,
like myself, were in the habit of spending Sunday with Sir Alexander and
Lady Duff Gor