his own name mentioned as one of the committee, and almost blushed as
he was appointed its chairman. The committee was requested to
withdraw, and to report the names of candidates as soon as possible.

Honestus and his colleagues therefore retired to a dim
passage-way--where, as he subsequently remarked, he should have been
rather alarmed to meet either of them at night and alone--and business
began. Various names were mentioned, of which, unfortunately, Honestus
had never heard one; and at length one of the most positive of the
committee said, emphatically, that, upon the whole, Sly was the very
man for the place. There was a general murmur of assent and
satisfaction. Honestus heard on every side that it was "just the
thing;" that Sly was "an A1 boy," and that he was "always there;" he
was also "square," and "right up to the line;" and by common consent
Sly seemed to be the Heaven-appointed candidate.

Rather disturbed by his total ignorance of this conspicuous public
character, Honestus turned to his neighbor and said, guardedly, with
the air of a man who was musing upon Sly's qualifications, "Oh,
Sly--Sly?"

"Yes," said his neighbor, "Sly."

"Certainly," replied Honestus; "certainly. But--who--is--Sly?"

His neighbor looked at him for a moment, and repeated the question in
a tone of incredulity--"_Who is Sly?_"--as if he had said, Who is
George Washington?

"Yes; I don't think that I know him."