A Poor Laugh
CURRAN was just rising to cross-examine a witness before a judge who was
familiar with the dry-as-dust black-letter law books, but could never
comprehend a jest, when the witness began to laugh before the learned
counsel had asked him a question. What are you laughing at, friend,
said Curran, what are you laughing at? Let me tell you that a laugh
without a joke is like--is like----Like what, Mr. Curran, asked the
judge, imagining he was at fault. Just exactly, my lord, like a
contingent remainder without any particular estate to support it.