As he well knew, they all feared and hated him for his trick of irony; but at least half a dozen of them desired his custom, for in St.Hospital (where nothing escaped notice) Brother Copas's fastidious extravagance in body-linen and his punctuality in discharging small debts were matters of common knowledge.

Moreover, in their present mood each of these women saw a chance of spiting another by depriving her of the job.
Brother Copas eyed them with an amiable smile.
"Come," he said, "don't all speak at once!.

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I'll not ask you to bid for my little contract just now when I see you are all so busy.
But seriously, I invite tenders, and will ask any one of you who cares for my custom to send me (say by to-morrow evening) a list of her prices in a sealed envelope, each envelope to bear the words 'Washing List' in an upper corner, that I may put all the tenders aside and open them together.