“Perhaps,” said Miss Jenny, holding out her doll at arm’s length, and critically contemplating the effect of her art with her scissors on her lips and her head thrown back, as if her interest lay there, and not in the conversation; “perhaps you’ll explain your meaning, young man, which is Greek to me.⁠—You must have another touch of blue in your trimming, my dear.” Having addressed the last remark to her fair client, Miss Wren proceeded to snip at some blue fragments that lay before her, among fragments of all colours, and to thread a needle from a skein of blue silk.

“Look here,” said Fledgeby.⁠—“Are you attending?”

“I am attending, sir,” replied Miss Wren, without the slightest appearance of so doing. “Another touch of blue in your trimming, my dear.”

“Well, look here,” said Fledgeby, rather discouraged by the circumstances under which he found himself pursuing the conversation. “If you’re attending⁠—”