Thus he does not like a hot pipe.

Some will hold that he ought to finish with the brier, as it is his favorite, but I am not of that opinion.

Undoubtedly, I think, the first pipe is the sweetest; indeed, I feel bound to make a statement here.

I have an uneasy feeling that I never did justice to meerschaums, and for this reason: I only smoked them after my brier was hot, so that I never gave them a fair chance.

If I had begun the day with a meerschaum, might it not have shown itself in a new light?
That is a point I shall never be able to decide now, but I often think of it, and I leave the verdict to others.
[Illustration] Even though I did not know that the man through the wall must retire at half-past twelve, his taps at that hour would announce it.