"Why, I had no idea anything could live that long!" "My respected Ancestor, whom I would call a stupid old humbug if I had not reformed, is so old that I am a mere baby compared with him," said Quox.

"He dates from the beginning of the world, and insists on telling us stories of things that happened fifty thousand years ago, which are of no interest at all to youngsters like me.

In fact, Grandpa isn't up to date.

He lives altogether in the past, so I can't see any good reason for his being alive to-day....

Are you people able to see your way, or shall I turn on more light ?" "Oh, we can see very nicely, thank you; only there's nothing to see but ourselves," answered Betsy.
This was true.