“We call it Horse,” said Mr. Podsnap, with forbearance. “In England, Angleterre, England, We Aspirate the H , and We Say ‘Horse.’ Only our Lower Classes Say ‘Orse!’ ”

“Pardon,” said the foreign gentleman; “I am alwiz wrong!”

“Our Language,” said Mr. Podsnap, with a gracious consciousness of being always right, “is Difficult. Ours is a Copious Language, and Trying to Strangers. I will not Pursue my Question.”

But the lumpy gentleman, unwilling to give it up, again madly said, “ Esker ,” and again spake no more.