e asked for, it was
"Thank you, Fathom," and no more to do; but now, nothing contents her.
Hark ye! were you a gentleman, Master Thomas,--for then you know you
would be a different kind of man,--how many times would you have your
coat altered?

_Thos_. Why, Master Fathom, as many times as it would take to make it
fit me.

_Fath_. Good! But, supposing it fitted thee at the first?

_Thos_. Then would I have it altered not at all.

_Fath_. Good! Thou wouldst be a reasonable gentleman. Thou wouldst
have a conscience. Now hark to a tale about my lady's last gown. How
many times, think you, took I it back to the sempstress?

_Thos_. Thrice, may be.

_Fath_. Thrice, may be! Twenty times, may be; and not a turn too many,
for the truth on't. Twenty times, on the oath of the sempstress. Now
mark me--can you count?

_Thos_. After a fashion.

_Fath_. You have much to be thankful for, Master Thomas. You London
serving-men have a world of things, which we in the country never dream
of. Now mark:--Four times took I it back for the flounce; twice for the
sleeves; three for the tucker--How many times in all is that?

_Thos_. Eight times to a fraction, Master Fathom.

_Fath_. What a master of figures you are! Eight times--now recollect
that! And then found she fault with the trimmings. Now tell me, how
many times took I back the gown for the trimmings?

_Thos_. Eight times more, perhaps!

_Fath_. Ten times to a certainty. How many times makes that?

_Thos_. Eighteen, Master Fathom, by the rule of addition.

_Fath_. And how many times more will make twenty?

Thee. Twice, by the same rule.

_Fath_. Thou hast worked with thy pencil and slate, Master Thomas!
Well, ten times, as I said, took I back the gown for the trimmings; and
was she content after all? I warrant you no, or my ears did not pay for
it. She wished, she said, that the slattern sempstress had not touched
the gown, for nought had she done but botched it. Now what think you had
the sempstress done to the gown?

_Thos_. To surmise that, I must be learned in the sempstress's art.

_Fath_. The sempstress's art! Thou hast hit it! Oh, the sweet
sempstress! the excellent sempstress! Mistress of her scissors and
needles, which are pointless and edgeless to her art! The sempstress had
done nothing to the gown; yet raves and storms my mistress at her for
having botched it in the making and mending; and orders her straight to
m