"Well, you're welcome to it, sir," said Murphy, "and if I had greater
nonsense you should have it; but seriously, sir, I again must beg you to
remember that the country all around here abounds in enchantment; scarcely
a night passes without some fairy frolic; but, however you may doubt the
wonderful fact of the cat speaking, I wonder you are not impressed with
the points of moral in which the story abounds--"

"Fiddlestick!" said the miniature snarler.

"First, the little touch about the corn monopoly [1]--then maternal vanity
chastised by the loss of the child's toe--then Tom's familiarity with his
cat, showing the danger arising from a man making too free with his female
domestics--the historical point about the penal laws--the fatal results of
letting the cat out o' the bag, with the curious final fact in natural
history."

[1][Footnote: Handy Andy was written when the "vexed question" of the
"Corn Laws" was the all-absorbing subject of discussion.]

"It's all nonsense," said the little man, "and I am ashamed of myself for
being such a fool as to sit--alistening to such stuff instead of going to
bed, after the fatigue of my journey and the necessity of rising early
to-morrow, to be in good time at the polling."

"Oh! then you're going to the election, sir?" said Murphy.

"Yes, sir--there's some sense in _that_--and _you_, gentlemen,
remember we must be _all_ up early--and I recommend you to follow my
example."