Now, though I was old enough to have told the story myself, --and young enough, I hope, to have done it without malignity; yet _Susannah_, in passing by the kitchen, for fear of accidents, had left it in shorthand with the cook--the cook had told it with a commentary to _Jonathan_, and _Jonathan_ to _Obadiah_; so that by the time my father had rung the bell half a dozen times, to know what was the matter above, --was _Obadiah_ enabled to give him a particular account of it, just as it had happened. 
Now, though I was old enough to have told the story myself, yet Susannah, in passing through the kitchen, had left it in shorthand with the cook - the cook had told it with a commentary to Jonathan, and Jonathan to Obadiah; so that by the time my father had rung the bell half a dozen times, to know what was the matter, Obadiah could give him an account of it, just as it had happened.
