I am, as I’ve said, rereading JONATHAN STRANGE & MR NORRELL. I’ve just finished the chapter in which a malicious old rich man has tortured one of his servants by getting him cold and wet and then making him stay up all night while he (the malicious old rich man) writes letters and does business on paper. The malicious old rich man even goes so far as to open a window to the freezing, snowy night. In the morning, the servant is asleep and the malicious old rich man has frozen to death. Good enough for him.

When recounting the adventure, the servant came to report (falsely, but it made a good story over tea or ale) that, when the malicious old rich man opened the window, he (the servant) said to him, foreseeing the malicious old rich man’s ultimate fate:

Cold at first; hot at last!

Pretty good crack, even though it was only said in the rewrite of memory.

This post is part of Linda G. Hill’s weekly blog hop, One-Liner Wednesday. If you have a one-liner or just like them, follow the link.

A WRITING PROMPT FROM ME TO YOU: A difference of opinion or perspective on fresh air.

MA