I

vacuity of eye which puzzled souls generally stare with⁠—first in my uncle Toby’s face⁠—then in his⁠—then up⁠—then down⁠—then east⁠—east and by east, and so on,⁠⸺⁠coasting it along by the plinth of the wainscot till he had got to the opposite point of the compass,⁠⸺⁠and that he had actually begun to count the brass nails upon the arm of his chair,⁠—my father thought there was no time to be lost with my uncle Toby , so took up the discourse as follows.