-seal.
Thousands of people dine there every year, and think they have got the
famous sherry when they get the dark blue seal; but the real wine, the
famous wine, is the light blue seal, and nobody in England knows it but
the landlord and his friends. In all these wine-conversations, whatever
variety there may be in the various experiences related, one of
two great first principles is invariably assumed by each speaker in
succession. Either he knows more about it than any one else, or he
has got better wine of his own even than the excellent wine he is now
drinking. Men can get together sometimes without talking of women,
without talking of horses, without talking of politics, but they cannot
assemble to eat a meal together without talking of wine, and they cannot
talk of wine without assuming to each one of themselves an absolute
infallibility in connection with that single subject which they would
shrink from asserting in relation to any other topic under the sun.

How long the inevitable wine-talk lasted on the particular social
occasion of which I am now writing is more than I can undertake to say.
I had heard so many other conversations of the same sort at so many
other tables that my attention wandered away wearily, and I began to
forget all about the dull little dinner-party and the badly-assorted
company of guests of whom I formed one. How long I remained in this not
over-courteous condition of mental oblivion is more than I can tell;
but when my attention was recalled, in due course of time, to the little
world around me, I found that the good wine had begun to do its good
office.

The stream of talk on either side of the host's chair was now beginning
to flow cheerfully and continuously; the wine-conversation had worn
itself out; and one of the elder guests--Mr. Wendell--was occupied in
telling the other guest--Mr. Trowbridge--of a small fraud which had
lately been committed on him by a clerk in his employment. The first
part of the story I missed altogether. The last part, which alone caught
my attention, followed the career of the clerk to the dock of the Old
Bailey.

"So, as I was telling you," continued Mr. Wendell, "I made up my mind to
prosecute, and I did prosecute. Thoughtless people blamed me for sending
the young man to prison, and said I might just as well have forgiven
him, seeing that the trifling sum of money I had lost by his breach of
trust was barely as much as ten pounds. Of course, persona