thrifty inhabitants of the Five Towns save a room as they save money. If
they have an income of six rooms they will live on five, or rather in
five, and thereby take pride to themselves.

Somewhat nervous, James feigned to glance at the rent books on the desk.

Helen's eye swept the room. "I suppose you have a good servant?" she
said.

"I have a woman as comes in," said James. "But her isn't in th' house at
the moment."

This latter statement was a wilful untruth on James's part. He had
distinctly caught a glimpse of Mrs. Butt's figure as he entered.

"Well," said Helen, kindly, "it's quite nice, I'm sure. You must be very
comfortable--for a man. But, of course, one can see at once that no
woman lives here."

"How?" he demanded, naïvely.

"Oh," she answered, "I don't know. But one can."

"Dost mean to say as it isn't clean, lass?"

"The _brasses_ are very clean," said Helen.

Such astonishing virtuosity in the art of innuendo is the privilege of
one sex only.