smaller fry. And what are _you_? Why, you're the small fish as
eat mud--and let yourselves _be_ gobbled! (_The crowd accept this
definition of themselves with perfect gaiety and good-humour._) Some
will tell yer that these lazy, idle loafers, work as hard as what we
do ourselves. (_Derisive laughter at this ridiculous idea._) Mind yer,
I'm not saying they don't. _Honly_, the 'arder they work, the worse
it is for us; because the more they work the more they _rob_! That's
what they send their sons to Oxford and to Cambridge--as was built and
endowed for the benefit of us, the labourin' classes--for. They send
'em there to learn _'ow to rob_!

[_Here a discussion breaks out between a Sceptic and a
Spiritualist, who, with half-a-dozen interested auditors,
have been putting their heads together in a corner._

_The Sceptic_. No,--but keep to the point,--you're shufflin' the
question. I want to argue this out on logical grounds. I know as
well as _you_ do that, if only I 'ave 'armony and a round table in my
family, I can make that table dance the poker--but what I'm puttin'
to _you_ is (_triumphantly_), 'ow does that prove to me as I'm in
communication with the Bogie Man? That's what _you've_ got to answer.

[Illustration: "Yer may sometimes hentertain a angel unawares!"]

_The Y.S._. We Soshalists 'ate the Tories as we 'ate sin. Why, young
polertician as I ham, &c., &c.

_The Spiritualist_ (_an elderly and earnest person_). All I can
reply to you is, we Spiritualists do not think--we _know_ that these
phenomena appear--yes, as surely as I know I am 'olding this stick in