"A joyful surprise!" a deep voice seemed to come from the closet.
"Who's that?" asked Tea Kettle. "Oh, it's Baking Dish!—you startled me!"
"Although I'm not paid proper respect for my years——" went on the deep voice.
"How old are you, now, anyway?" asked Tea Kettle.
"I've been told I'm very old—
My grandsire was a Tory—
Often bought and often sold,
But that's another story."
"What an honor!" snickered Sauce Pan.
"How rude!" said Coffee Pot.
"No, child," came the deep voice of Baking Dish, "only modern—without reverence for the old and——"