“Did you ever read any of this man’s foolery, Sir?” inquired Slurk of Bob Sawyer.

“Never,” replied Bob; “is it very bad?”

“Oh, shocking! shocking!” rejoined Slurk.

“Really! Dear me, this is too atrocious!” exclaimed Pott, at this juncture; still feigning to be absorbed in his reading.

“If you can wade through a few sentences of malice, meanness, falsehood, perjury, treachery, and cant,” said Slurk, handing the paper to Bob, “you will, perhaps, be somewhat repaid by a laugh at the style of this ungrammatical twaddler.”

“What’s that you said, Sir?” inquired Mr. Pott, looking up, trembling all over with passion.

“What’s that to you, sir?” replied Slurk.

“Ungrammatical twaddler, was it, sir?” said Pott.