mind answering questions, when I can do so: ask me as many as you
please; it's fun for me. I will tell you all about Epping Forest
when I was a boy, if you please; and as to my age, I'm not a fine
lady, you know, so why shouldn't I tell you? I'm hard on fifty-six."

In spite of the recent lecture on good manners, the weaver could not
help giving a long "whew" of astonishment, and the others were so
amused by his naivete that the merriment flitted all over their
faces, though for courtesy's sake they forbore actual laughter; while
I looked from one to the other in a puzzled manner, and at last said:

"Tell me, please, what is amiss: you know I want to learn from you.
And please laugh; only tell me."

Well, they DID laugh, and I joined them again, for the above-stated
reasons. But at last the pretty woman said coaxingly -

"Well, well, he IS rude, poor fellow! but you see I may as well tell
you what he is thinking about: he means that you look rather old for
your age. But surely there need be no wonder in that, since you have
been travelling; and clearly from all you have been saying, in
unsocial countries. It has often been said, and no doubt truly, that
one ages very quickly if one lives amongst unhappy people. Also they
say that southern England is a good place for keeping good looks."
She blushed and said: "How old am I, do you think?"

"Well," quoth I, "I have always been told that a woman is as old as
she looks, so without offence or flattery, I should say that you were
twenty."