"Ha! that's unmanly, Caudle. Can't you say 'Yes,' without anything
else? I say--can't you say 'Yes'? There, bless you! I knew you
would.

"And now, Caudle, what shall we have for dinner? No--we won't talk
of it to-morrow; we'll talk of it now, and then it will be off my
mind. I should like something particular--something out of the way--
just to show that we thought the day something. I should like--Mr.
Caudle, you're not asleep?

"WHAT DO I WANT?

"Why, you know I want to settle about the dinner.

"HAVE WHAT I LIKE?

"No: as it's your fancy to keep the day, it's only right that I
should try to please you. We never had one, Caudle; so what do you
think of a haunch of venison? What do you say?

"MUTTON WILL DO?

"Ha! that shows what you think of your wife: I dare say if it was
with any of your club friends--any of your pot-house companions--
you'd have no objection to venison. I say if--what do you mutter?

"LET IT BE VENISON?

"Very well. And now about the fish? What do you think of a nice