The want of dignity he displayed about that flower-pot, on his return to London, would have made any one sorry for him.

I had my own work to look after, and really could not be tending his chrysanthemum all day.

After he came back, however, there was no reasoning with him, and I admit that I never did water his plant, though always intending to do so.
The great mistake was in not leaving the flower-pot in charge of William John.

No doubt I readily promised to attend to it, but Gilray deceived me by speaking as if the watering of a plant was the merest pastime.

He had to leave London for a short provincial tour, and, as I see now, took advantage of my good nature.
As Gilray had owned his flower-pot for several months, during which time (I take him at his word) he had watered it daily, he must have known he was misleading me.