No _uninitiated_ adult of the utmost intelligence ever held an Italian-pattern foil correctly yet--nor until he had been pretty carefully shown.

Who the devil put him up to the design in the first place, and the method of holding, in the second?
Explain yourself, you two-anna[6] marvel," he demanded of the child.

"It's _jadu_--black magic." "Ayah lothted a wupee latht night," he replied.
"Lost a rupee, did she?
Lucky young thing.

Wish I had one to lose.

Who showed you how to hold that sword?
Why do you crook your fingers round the cross-piece like that ?" "Chucko laid me an egg latht night," observed Damocles.