his eye.

The beer charged with duty in the United Kingdom was 32,104,320
barrels, 532,047 barrels of which were exported on drawback,
leaving 31,572,283 barrels for home consumption. There were
also 38,580 barrels of beer, and 1,653 barrels of spruce
imported from abroad.

And again:

The spirits "retained for home consumption" in the year were:--
rum, 4,268,438 gallons; brandy, 2,668,499 gallons; "other
sorts," 824,078 gallons. The home consumption of tobacco in the
year reached the total of 63,765,053 lbs. Though the tobacco
duty was reduced by 4d. a lb. in 1887-8, the annual yield
averages 1,336,240 pounds sterling more than it was ten years
ago. Smuggling still continues. . . .

Mr. Rabling was declaiming aloud by this time, and when he read out
about the smuggling, one or two of his audience gazed up at the
ceiling and agreed that the fellow had some of his facts right.
Old Pilot James added that the book could hardly be a work of
fiction, since the Vicar had left it on the table, and the Vicar was
not one to scatter lies except upon due deliberation.

Mr. Rabling left the room and walked straight up to the Vicarage, and
the Vicar assured him that the Customs Returns were almost as
accurate as if they had been prepared under a Conservative
Government. You must excuse these details, Prince. They are really
essential to the story.