Five weeks drifted tediously along.

The SAGAMORE arrived regularly on the Saturdays, but never once contained a mention of Tilbury Foster.
Sally's patience broke down at this point, and he said, resentfully: "Damn his livers, he's immortal!" Aleck give him a very severe rebuke, and added with icy solemnity: "How would you feel if you were suddenly cut out just after such an awful remark had escaped out of you ?" Without sufficient reflection Sally responded: "I'd feel I was lucky I hadn't got caught with it IN me." Pride had forced him to say something, and as he could not think of any rational thing to say he flung that out.

Then he stole a base--as he called it--that is, slipped from the presence, to keep from being brayed in his wife's discussion-mortar.
Six months came and went.

The SAGAMORE was still silent about Tilbury.
Meantime, Sally had several times thrown out a feeler--that is, a hint that he would like to know.

Aleck had ignored the hints.