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174 "Add to these, my lady," replied the traveller, laughing, "the privilege of telling my own stories after dinner uncontradicted." "I thank you," said Lorraine, "for reinforcing my favourite theory, which maintains that a love of talking is the great feature of the present time. Steam is not half so much its characteristic as speechifying." "Our monopoly of talking," observed Lady Mandeville, "Is being transferred to you gentlemen. I saw some English newspapers the other day, and I must say, London just now seems visited with the plague of tongues. Why, there is our friend Mr. Delawarr, every evening—poor unhappy Wednesday not now excepted—gets up and speaks at the rate of ten miles an hour, or, I should rather say, ten hours a mile, to judge by the little progress he makes. When did any of us ever say a quarter so much?" "The supply," replied Lord Mandeville, "in this case, does not create the demand. What woman could ever find listeners willing to go such lengths?" "There, now!" exclaimed Mde. de Ligne, "that speech is just your belle alliance of persiflage and politeness: half of what vos autres