bachelors not knowing comfort? Do bachelors ever put their friends
into damp sheets? No; that is the women's trick with their household
science. Your sex have killed more men with damp sheets than ever fell
by the sword."

"Yet nobody erects monuments to us," put in Lucy, slyly.

She missed fire. Uncle Fountain, like most Englishmen, could take in a
pun by the ear, but wit only by the eye. "Do you remember when Mrs.
Bazalgette put you into the linen sponge, and killed you?"

"Killed me?"

"Certainly, as far as in her lay. We can but do our best; well, she
did hers, and went the right way to work."

"You see I survive."

"By a miracle. Dinner is at six."

"Very well, dear."

"Yes; but six in this house means sixty minutes after five and sixty
minutes before seven. I mention this the first day because you are
just come from a place where it means twenty minutes to seven; also
let me observe that I think I have noticed soup and potatoes eat
better hot than cold, and meat tastes nicer done to a turn than--"

"To a cinder?"