of it."

"Humph!" ejaculated the doctor. "I'm afraid our Martha does not approve
of doing anything but what she likes. But that would not do, boy. I
told Syme so, but he was hot over it--boiler-hot."

"Well, then, let it be by means of a small boiler fitted somewhere at
the side of the kitchen range, uncle; then the one fire will do
everything; and, with the exception of a little cost at first, the
greenhouse will always afterwards be heated for nothing."

"Come, I like that idea," said the doctor, rubbing his nose. "There's
something in that, eh, my dear? Sounds well."

"Yes," said Aunt Hannah, "it sounds very well, but so do all Vane's
plans; and, though I like to encourage him so long as he does not make
too much mess, I must say that they seldom do anything else but sound."

"Oh, aunt!"

"Well, it's quite true, my dear, and you know it. I could name a dozen
things."

"No, no, don't name 'em, aunt," said Vane hurriedly. "I know I have
made some mistakes; but then everyone does who tries to invent."

"Then why not let things be as they are, my dear. I'm sure the old
corkscrew was better to take out corks than the thing you made."

"It would have been beautiful, aunt," cried Vane, "if--"

"It hadn't broken so many bottles," said the doctor with a humorous look
in his eyes. "It wouldn't have mattered if it had been aunt's cowslip
wine, but it always chose my best port and sherry."

"And then there was that churn thing," continued Aunt Hannah.

"Oh, come, aunt, that was a success."

"What, a thing that sent all the cream flying out over Martha when she
turned the handle! No, my dear, no."

"But you will not see, aunt, that it was because the thing was not
properly made."

"Of course I do, my dear," said Aunt Hannah. "That's what I say."

"No, no, aunt, I mean made by a regular manufacturer, with tight lids.
That was only a home-made one for an experiment."

"Yes, I know it was, my dear; and I recollect what a rage Martha was in
with the thing. I believe that if I had insisted upon her going on
using that thing, she would have left."

"I wish you wouldn't keep on calling it a thing, aunt," said Vane, in an
ill-used tone; "it was a patent churn."

"Never mind, boy," said the doctor, "yours is the fate of all inventors.
People want a deal of persuading to use new contrivances; they always
prefer to stick to the old ones."

"Well, my dear, and very reasonably, too," said Aunt Hannah. "You