“Weren't YOU ever a fat, little, red worm?” he hissed. “Wasn't I ever a little, fat, red——” he paused in confusion, as his ear became puzzled by the proper sequence of his adjectives, “a fat, red, little worm,” he stammered; “and see what we are now!” He thrust out his chest and strutted about in great pride.
“Big red worms,” admitted Jimmy gloomily.
But Alfred did not hear him. “You and I ought to have SONS on the way to what we are,” he declared, “and better.”
“Oh yes, better,” agreed Jimmy, thinking of his present plight. “Much better.”
“But HAVE we?” demanded Alfred.
Jimmy glanced about the room, as though expecting an answering demonstration from the ceiling.
“Have YOU?” persisted Alfred.
Jimmy shook his head solemnly.
“Have I?” asked the irate husband.
Out of sheer absent mindedness Jimmy shrugged his shoulders.