text:  Then he would get down his ledger and turn to the deceased's account-- "----How _long_ it is thou see'st And he would gaze 'till it became _much longer_;" "For who could tell whether six shirts or twelve were bought in July last and what could be the harm of making those eight handkerchiefs a dozen? He was a strange old gentleman; lived by himself--and the books might be referred to and speak boldly for themselves