I said to my tobacconist that Gladstone was not a financier because he
bought a lot of china at high prices and it fetched very little when it
was sold at Christie’s.
“Did he give high prices?” said the tobacconist.
“Enormous prices,” said I emphatically.
Now, to tell the truth, I did not know whether Mr. Gladstone had ever
bought the china at all, much less what he gave for it, if he did; he may
have had it all left him for aught I knew. But I was going to appeal to
my tobacconist by arguments that he could understand, and I could see he
was much impressed.