GRITTY. Well, well, every one to his taste! Your father chose London smoke and slaving on to amass a fortune. _I_ preferred fresh air and a moderate competence, and so we parted. You'll stay and dine with us to-day, of course? SKRUFF. Thank you, Mr. Gritty. (_Aside_). I put a paper of sandwiches in my pocket. Never mind, they'll keep a day or two. GRITTY. And after dinner you can tell me to what I'm indebted for the pleasure of this visit. (_Suddenly_). By-the-bye, you'll have a glass of wine? Of course you will! (_Calling._) Sally! bring in that decanter of port out of the sideboard! SKRUFF (_aside_). What extravagance! GRITTY. Ha! ha! I remember I never could get your father to drink anything stronger than raspberry vinegar drowned in water--and what a wretched looking object he was!--the color of gingerbread and as thin as a pair of nut-crackers! Do you know, Samuel, the more I look at you the more you remind me of him? _Enter SALLY from house with decanter and wine-glasses on a tray, which she places on a small table in C.--GRITTY sits L. and SKRUFF R. Exit SALLY into house._ GRITTY (_pouring out a glass of wine_). There, Samuel--tell me what you think of that (_SKRUFF sips the wine_). Zounds, man, it won't hurt you, down with it! (_SKRUFF takes down the wine at a gulp, almost choking himself._) GRITTY (_after tossing off his glass of wine_). How the deuce is it that my old friend Skruff hasn't found his way down to see me all these years? SKRUFF. Well, the fact is, Mr. Gritty, my father has often talked of paying you a visit-- Thank you, I don't mind taking just one more glass (_holding out his glass to GRITTY, who fills it--SKRUFF tosses it down._) Let me see--I was saying-- GRITTY. That your father has often talked of paying me a visit. SKRUFF. Exactly--but the fact is-- Well, since you insist upon it, I don't mind just _half_ a glass more (_holding out his glass--GRITTY fills it half full._) GRITTY. I think you said _half_ a glass? SKRUFF. Did I?--far be it from me to contradict you, but--(_GRITTY laughs and fills up SKRUFF'S glass, which SKRUFF again tosses off._) GRITTY. Now you haven't told me why my old friend hasn't been down to see me all these years. SKRUFF. Well, the fact is, it's such an awful expense to get down here! GRITTY. What! from Putney to Teddington--eighteenpence second-class return? Surely that wouldn't have ruined him! SKRUFF (_aside_). If ever old Gritty becomes my uncle-in-law, I shall have to put a stop to all these extravagant notions of his. GRITTY. Well, it seems _you_ didn't grudge the expense. SKRUFF. Not a bit of it, because I didn't go to it! I got a lift in our butcher's cart to Richmond--then on to Twickenham with a benevolent baker, and walked the rest.