rld, and is no sign of nationality."

"What laws do you obey?"

"English,--till we choose to repeal them. You are aware that we have
already freed ourselves from the stain of capital punishment."

"Those coins pass in your market-places?" Then he brought out a gold
piece from his waistcoat-pocket, and slapped it down on the table.
It was one of those pounds which the people will continue to call
sovereigns, although the name has been made actually illegal for the
rendering of all accounts. "Whose is this image and superscription?"
he asked. "And yet this was paid to me to-day at one of your banks,
and the lady cashier asked me whether I would take sovereigns. How
will you get over that, Mr President?"

A small people,--numerically small,--cannot of course do everything
at once. We have been a little slack perhaps in instituting a
national mint. In fact there was a difficulty about the utensil by
which we would have clapped a Southern Cross over the British arms,
and put the portrait of the Britannulan President of the day,--mine
for instance,--in the place where the face of the British monarch has
hitherto held its own. I have never pushed the question much, lest
I should seem, as have done some presidents, over anxious to exhibit
myself. I have ever thought more of the glory of our race than of
putting forward my own individual self,--as may be seen by the whole
history of the college. "I will not attempt to get over it," I said;
"but according to my ideas, a nation does not depend on the small
external accidents of its coin or its language."

"But on the flag which it flies. After all, a bit of bunting is
easy."

"Nor on its flag, Lord Marylebone, but on the hearts of its people.
We separated from the old mother country with no quarrel, with no
ill-will; but with the mutual friendly wishes of both. If there be
a trace of the feeling of antagonism in the word foreigners, I will
not use it; but British subjects we are not, and never can be again."
This I said because I felt that there was creeping up, as it were in
the very atmosphere, a feeling that England should be again asked
to annex us, so as to save our old people from the wise decision to
which our own Assembly had come. Oh for an adamantine law to protect
the human race from the imbecility, the weakness, the discontent,
and the extravagance of old age! Lord Marylebone, who saw that I
was in earnest, and who was the most courteous of gentlemen, changed
t