gout, sir?'

'Bad,' said Brown.

'What else can you expect?' said Mrs. Lemon. 'Your stomach is the
size of two. Go and take exercise directly. Mrs. Black, come here
to me. Now, here is a child, Mrs. Orange, ma'am, who is always at
play. She can't be kept at home a single day together; always
gadding about and spoiling her clothes. Play, play, play, play,
from morning to night, and to morning again. How can she expect to
improve?'

'Don't expect to improve,' sulked Mrs. Black. 'Don't want to.'

'There is a specimen of her temper, ma'am,' said Mrs. Lemon. 'To
see her when she is tearing about, neglecting everything else, you
would suppose her to be at least good-humoured. But bless you!
ma'am, she is as pert and flouncing a minx as ever you met with in
all your days!'

'You must have a great deal of trouble with them, ma'am,' said Mrs.
Orange.

'Ah, I have, indeed, ma'am!' said Mrs. Lemon. 'What with their
tempers, what with their quarrels, what with their never knowing
what's good for them, and what with their always wanting to
domineer, deliver me from these unreasonable children!'

'Well, I wish you good-morning, ma'am,' said Mrs. Orange.