"You spoke to me, Effie. What was it, my dear?"
"O yes, papa. I wanted to ask you whether you wouldn't tell us, to-night, the story about how you—"
"Well, my love?"
"—About how you—"
"I am listening, my dear."
"I mean, about mamma and you."
"Yes, yes. About how I got your mamma for a mother to you. Yes. I paid a dozen of port for her."
We all and each exclaimed Papa! and my mother laughed.
"Tell us all about it," was the general cry.
"Well, I will," answered my father. "I must begin at the beginning, though."