It was a bitter thought, for in a tweed suit he could not really feel a conquering hero after eight o'clock at night.
Then he put his foot into a dress-boot full of cold water.

It was a good water-tight boot; and it had faithfully retained all of the water its lining had not soaked up.

The gallant officer said a good deal about its retentive properties to the mute boot.
At dinner be learned from Mrs.Pittaway that the obliging Terror had himself fetched the cigarette-case from his bedroom.

A flash of intuition connected the Terror with the watered boot; and he begged her, with loud acerbity, never again to let any one--any one!!--enter his bedroom.

Mrs.Pittaway objected that slops could not be emptied, or beds made without human intervention.