“’I ask whether it is wise or prudent on the part of the State to leave unnoticed and disregarded the higher aspirations and ambitions of a large and useful and powerful class of the community?’

“No, Sir—­a thousand times no!  Let our ‘higher aspirations’ be considered. Some of us have souls above six-and-eightpence, and yearnings beyond bills of costs.  Let ’em be gratified, Boy!”

“Oh, please Sir, yussir:  let ’em!  Immediately—­if not sooner, Sir!”

“By the State—­with a capital S!  If a soldier may carry a Field Marshal’s baton in his knapsack, why, why should not a Solicitor carry a Baronetcy in his Blue Bag?”

“And Ekker answers, ‘Why?’ Sir.”

“I beg your pardon, Boy, it is the Times, not the Echo, which so answers.  The Times says:—­

“’They (Solicitors) are the guardians of our dearest (yes, our dearest) interests, the confidants of family secrets, the arbiters in family controversies, and not infrequently the custodians of the honour and the good name of their clients.’

“Quite so.  Why, Boy, did we let out the Secrets of the Blue Bag, the contents of Old Nick’s Sack, which that ’stupid old snuff-colour’d son of a gun,’ Saint Medard ‘cut into slits on the Red Sea shore’ would be nothing to ’em!”

“Nothink at all, Sir; nothink, wotsomedever!”

“No matter—­a time will come, Boy!  In Mr. WILLIAM MELMOTH WALTERS’s speech I see the dawn of it.

“’The Profession, it is true, does not receive in any great measure those official dignities and rewards which the President claims on its behalf, nor are we quite confident that, if it did, the fact would increase the confidence or the respect of its clients.’

“Well, the Times may not be ‘quite confident.’ I am!  And so would the clients be, I’m sure.  Remove that Blue Bag, Boy!  Wonder what Mr. Pickwick’s opinion of Mr. WALTERS’s speech would have been, and that of the Wellers, father and son! [Sings.

  “I’ll place it in the hand of my Solicitors;
    I’ll have this thing put right. 
        We may make money,
        But—­isn’t it funny!—­
    Few ‘dignities’ Solicitors delight!”

    [Left considering it.

* * * * *

FROM DARKEST AFRICA.

  Mrs. SHELDON is back from her travels abroad. 
    Were she only a man, we should hail her as manly! 
  As it is, there are some who, in wishing to laud,
    Are accustomed to call her the feminine STANLEY. 
  But now this adventurous, much-daring she
    Through such perils has gone, and so gallantly held on,
  In time that’s to come Mr. STANLEY may be
    Merely known to us all as the male Mrs. SHELDON!

* * * * *

MOTTO FOR THE OPPONENTS OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.—­No noose is good news!  (But what will grim Lord GRIMTHORPE say?)