"

"The way of declining a noun."

"Then, in the civilest way imaginable, I decline the noun. Is that a
declension?"

"You should never play on words; to do so is low vulgar, smelling of the
pothouse, the workhouse. Belle, I insist on your declining an Armenian
noun."

"I have done so already," said Belle.

"If you go on in this way," said I, "I shall decline taking any more tea
with you. Will you decline an Armenian noun?"

"I don't like the language," said Belle. "If you must teach me
languages, why not teach me French or Chinese?"

"I know nothing of Chinese; and as for French, none but a Frenchman is
clever enough to speak it--to say nothing of teaching; no, we will stick
to Armenian, unless, indeed, you would prefer Welsh!"

"Welsh, I have heard, is vulgar," said Belle; "so, if I must learn one of
the two, I will prefer Armenian, which I never heard of till you
mentioned it to me; though of the two, I really think Welsh sounds best."

"The Armenian noun," said I, "which I propose for your declension this
night, is . . . which signifieth Master."

"I neither like the word nor the sound," said Belle.

"I can't help that," said I; "it is the word I choose; Master, with all
its variations, being the first noun, the sound of which I would have you
learn from my lips. Come, let us begin--

"A master . . . Of a master, etc. Repeat--"

"I am not much used to say the word," said Belle. "But, to oblige you, I
will decline it as you wish;" and thereupon Belle declined master in
Armenian.

"You have declined the noun very well," said I; "that is in the singular
number; we will now go to the plural."

"What is the plural?" said Belle.

"That which implies more than one, for example, masters; you shall now go
through masters in Armenian."

"Never," said Belle, "never; it is bad to have one master, but more I
would never bear, whether in Armenian or English."

"You do not understand," said I; "I merely want you to decline masters in
Armenian."

"I do decline them; I will have nothing to do with them, nor with master
either; I was wrong to--What sound is that?"

"I did not hear it, but I daresay it is thunder; in Armenian--"

"Never mind what it is in Armenian; but why do you think it is thunder?"

"Ere I returned from my stroll, I looked up into the heavens, and by
their appearance I judged that a storm was nigh at hand."

"And why did you not tell me so?"

"You never asked me about the state