5. If Gerald can give any information, he will have to appear as witness, in which case he will get his expenses as a witness, but he cannot claim compensation because he happens to be away at work in the country, and it may be inconvenient for him to come up to town. 6. Yes, you will have to appear as plaintiff, to give evidence of the value of the portmanteau and its contents, and also of the date and other particulars of its being given into the charge of the Company. Lastly, I do not suppose the Company will pay much attention to any letters which you or Gerald may write on the subject, but a letter from a lawyer will probably bring them to the point, and so you had better “screw up your courage to the sticking point,” and consult a respectable lawyer. I may tell you that if your box was stolen and the railway company get hold of the thief, you will not be obliged to prosecute him—the Company will do that for you—but you will have to appear as a witness. I think the cabman was quite within his rights in claiming twopence for the bag which was placed upon the footboard of the hansom. The Act says “outside,” and the footboard of the hansom is just as much the “outside” as the roof of the cab. I am aware that a metropolitan magistrate decided quite the contrary way the other day, and dismissed the claim of a cabman, who sought to charge a lady twopence for a bag which was carried on the footboard, but I confess I read the report of the magistrate’s decision with considerable surprise and it does not make me alter my opinion; the magistrate was wrong, and the cabman was entitled to his twopence. It is not necessary for Gerald to take out a gun licence because he has come into the possession of a gun left him by his uncle; the mere fact of having a gun does not make it imperative for its owner to have a gun licence. It differs in this respect from the licence for armorial bearings; but if he wishes to use the gun, he must take out a licence to carry one, and if he intends to shoot game with it, then he must take out a licence to kill game. It really comes to this, unless a man has opportunities for a good deal of shooting, it is not worth his while to take out these licences which are fairly expensive. I have a gun, but I have never yet taken out a licence to carry it, because I don’t carry it, I keep it at home in its case. One of these days when I have a “shoot” of my own, I shall take out the necessary licences and advise Gerald to do the same. Your affectionate cousin, BOB BRIEFLESS. VARIETIES. THE MASTER OF ALL. There is a pithy epigram in the Greek Anthology on a statue of Cupid; its translation is to this effect— “Whoe’er thou art, thy master see— He was, or is, or is to be.”