extenuation I can only plead that they could no more help cringing to

money than you or I can help it.

This is very crude and very cynical, but unfortunately it is true.

We always cringe to money; which is humiliating. And the sun always

rises at an hour when sensible people are abed and have not the least

need for its services; which is foolish. And what you and I, my dear

madam, are to do about rectifying either one of these vexatious

circumstances, I am sure I don't know.

We can, at least, be honest. Let us, then, console ourselves at will

with moral observations concerning the number of pockets in a shroud