At other times, I thought, What if the young man who was with so much difficulty restrained from imbruing his hands in me should yield to a constitutional impatience, or should mistake the time, and should think himself accredited to my heart and liver to-night, instead of to-morrow! If ever anybody's hair stood on end with terror, mine must have done so then.

But, perhaps, nobody's ever did?
It was Christmas Eve, and I had to stir the pudding for next day, with a copper-stick, from seven to eight by the Dutch clock.

I tried it with the load upon my leg (and that made me think afresh of the man with the load on HIS leg), and found the tendency of exercise to bring the bread and butter out at my ankle, quite unmanageable.

Happily I slipped away, and deposited that part of my conscience in my garret bedroom.
"Hark!" said I, when I had done my stirring, and was taking a final warm in the chimney corner before being sent up to bed; "was that great guns, Joe ?" "Ah!" said Joe.

"There's another conwict off." "What does that mean, Joe ?" said I.
Mrs.Joe, who always took explanations upon herself, said, snappishly, "Escaped.