He plunged in, time after time, to fetch out my in-thrown stick, with a frisky bound; emerging after the performance with ice-pendants to his glossy, silken ears and coat smartly curled, as if he had just paid a visit to Truefitt's, and been manipulated by the dexterous hands of one of the assistants at that celebrated establishment, armed with the crinal tongs and anybody's best macassar.
By-and-by we returned; and whom should I then meet on my way home but, positively, my eye-glass acquaintance of Downing Street.

Fancy his being out before nine o'clock in the morning! It was an unparalleled occurrence.
"Hullo, Horner!" I sang out, "'morning, old fellow.

Compliments of the season!" "Bai-ey Je-ove! Lorton, how you stawtled me--'do!" "You don't mean to say," I asked, on getting closer to him, "that you've actually taken to early rising ?" "No, 'pon honah, I asshaw you, my deah fellah, no!" he replied, quite excitedly.

"No, I asshaw you, no," he repeated.
"Well, then, what on earth makes you come out at this early unearthly hour ?" I said.
"Oh--ah! you see--ah, my deah fellah," he answered, "it was all those confawnded little bahds and the bells kicking up such a raow; that, 'pon honah, I couldn't sleep and so I came out.

I asshaw you it was all those bweastwy little bahds and the bells!" "At all events, I must congratulate you on your reformation," I said.
"Yaas?
But it was all those bweastwy little bahds and the bells, you know; and it's only once a ye-ah you know, Lorton," he added.
"So you will never do so again till next time--is that what you mean, Horner ?" I asked.
"Yaas! But, bai-ey Je-ove, I say, Lorton, my deah fellah, were the Clydes those ladies in hawf-mawning, eh ?" said he, smiling feebly in his usual suave manner.