7
‘How shrill those fives are!’ said some one. ‘Oh, come now,’ said Socrates; ‘seditions and strives, but not drums and fives.’
7
‘That man is heavily weighed,” one man observed. ‘You are quite right; there is no such word as weighted.’ ‘He has thrived on it,’ some one assured him. ‘The people among whom he has thrived cannot be very particular.’
7
People were very fond of calling it at-one-ment. ‘Yes, all right,’ he would say; ‘I know what it means.’
7
Mention being made of a black-hen, he supposed that would be the female of the grey-cock.
7
Some one said he had been eating sparrowgrass. ‘You'll be trying groundsel next,’ was his comment.
8
But enough of Socrates. Shall we have another match on the old lines? I will give you nothing but first-rate ones. Have your eyes open. You will surely be able to do it now, after hearing such a list of them.
8
I am by no means so sure of that. Proceed, however.
8
Not sure? well, but here you have the door broad open.
8
Say on.
8
I have said.
8
Nothing that I observed.
8
What, not observed ‘broad open’?
8
No.
8
Well, what is to happen, if you cannot follow now? Every man can crow on his own hay-cock, and I thought this was yours. Did you get that hay-cock? You don’t seem to attend; look at the mutual help Socrates and I have just given you.
8
I am attending; but you are so sly with them.
9
Monstrous sly, is it not, to say ‘mutual’ instead of ‘joint'? Well, that is settled up; but for your general ignorance, I defy any God short of Apollo to cure it. He gives council to all who ask it; but on you that council is thrown away.
9
Yes, I declare, so it was!
9
Perhaps one at a time are too few?
9
I think that must be it.
9
How did ‘one are’ get past you?
9
Ah, I didn’t see it, again.
9
By the way, do you know of any one who is on the look in for a wife?
9
What are you talking about?
9
Show me the man who is on the look in, and I will show you a solecist.
9
But what have I to do with solecists on the look in for wives?
