“You abominable boy, what a turn you did give me! Is that all?”
“All—on my honor. Calm yourself. Tell me the time, and receive my blessing.”
“Just five minutes after nine. No charge—keep your blessing.”
“Thanks. It wouldn't have impoverished me, aunty, nor so enriched you that you could live without other means.”
He got up, murmuring, “Just five minutes after nine,” and faced his clock. “Ah,” said he, “you are doing better than usual. You are only thirty-four minutes wrong. Let me see... let me see.... Thirty-three and twenty-one are fifty-four; four times fifty-four are two hundred and thirty-six. One off, leaves two hundred and thirty-five. That's right.”
He turned the hands of his clock forward till they marked twenty-five minutes to one, and said, “Now see if you can't keep right for a while—else I'll raffle you!”
He sat down at the desk again, and said, “Aunt Susan!”
“Yes, dear.”
“Had breakfast?”
“Yes, indeed, an hour ago.”