_First Lady_. But even if it _was_ another rabbit, it was wearing the borrowed watch round its neck. _The M. in E. D_. Easy enough to slip the watch in, if all the boxes have false bottoms. _Second L_. Yes, but he passed the boxes round for us to examine. _The M. in E. D_. Boxes--but not _those_ boxes. _First L_. But how could he slip the watch in when somebody was holding it all the time in a paper bag? _The M. in E. D_. Ah, _I_ saw how it was done--but it would take too long to explain it now. I _have_ seen it so well performed that you _couldn't_ spot it. But this chap's a regular duffer! _Herr V. K. (who finds this sort of thing rather disturbing_). Lyties and Shentilmans, I see zere is von among us who is a brofessional like myself, and knows how all my leedle dricks is done. Now--_suddenly abandoning his accent_--I am always griteful for hanythink that will distrack the attention of the orjonce from what is going on upon the Stige; naterally so, because it prevents you from follerin' my actions too closely, and so I now call upon this gentleman in the hevenin' dress jest to speak hup a very little louder than what he 'as been doin', so that you will be enabled to 'ear hevery word of his hexplanation more puffickly than what some of you in the back benches have done 'itherto. Now, Sir, if you'll kindly repeat your very hinterestin' remarks in a more haudible tone, I can go on between like. [_Murmurs of "No, no!" "Shut up!" "We don't want to hear him!" from various places_; The Man in Evening Dress _subsides into a crimson taciturnity, which continues during the remainder of the performance_. * * * * * MR. PUNCH'S DICTIONARY OF PHRASES. JOURNALISTIC. "_Inspector ---- gives you the impression of a particularly able and open-minded Police-officer_;" i.e., "An easy prey to the interviewing correspondent." "_It could not, of course, be expected that a particularly shrewd and able young Solicitor would be_ very _communicative about his client's case_;" i.e., "Knew precious little himself, and didn't even offer me a drink." * * * * * QUITE THE KOCH OF THE WALK.--The great Berlin Bacteriologist. * * * * * ROBERT AT BURN'EM BEACHES. They is still so jolly busy at the "Grand" that I had sum differculty in getting leaf of habsense for Satterday, larst week, for to go with a werry seleck Copperashun Party on a most himportent hexcurshun to Burn'em Beaches about cuttin all the trees down, so that then it woodn't be not Burn'em Beaches not no longer! Howewer, by promisin for to stick to the "Grand" all thro' the cumming Winter, the too Gentelmanly Managers let me go.