I envy even the little shopkeeper, who reckons up his profits every Saturday night, and sees his business growing.

But you must begin early; you must learn money-making like anything else.
If I had made money, Piers, I should be at this moment the most virtuous and meritorious citizen of the British Empire!" Alexander was vexed to find that his brother did not smoke.

He lit his pipe after tea, and for a couple of hours talked ceaselessly, relating the course of his adventurous life; an entertaining story, told with abundant vigour, with humorous originality.

Though he had in his possession scarce a dozen volumes, Alexander was really a bookish man and something of a scholar; his quotations, which were frequent, ranged from Homer to Horace, from Chaucer to Tennyson.

He recited a few of his own poetical compositions, and they might have been worse; Piers made him glow and sparkle with a little praise.
Meanwhile, Bridget was putting the children to bed and cooking the evening meal--styled dinner for this occasion.