You were in your lost brown-study, and then, seeing a pretty lass that most are glad to rest their eyes upon, you looked away disappointed or careless." "And how knew you that I was of the ancient guild of the bachelors ?" asked Dessauer.
"Why, by the way that you looked at the pot on the fire, and sniffed up the stew, and asked how long the dinner would be! The bachelor of years is ever uneasy about his meals, having little else to be uneasy about, and no wife, compact of all contrary whimsies, to teach him how to be patient." "And how," cried the Prince, in his turn, "knew you that I had been wedded once ?" "Or twice," said the woman, smiling.

"Man, ye cackle it like a hen on the rafters advertising her egg in the manger below.

I knew it by the fashion ye had of hanging up your hat and eke scraping your feet---not after ye entered, like these other good, careless gentlemen, but with your knife, outside the door.

I see it by your air of one that has been at once under authority and yet master of a house." "Well done, good wife!" cried the Prince.

"Were I indeed in authority I would make you either Prime-Minister or chief of my thief-catchers." And so after that we went to bed..