The scene was Mr. Cruncher's private lodging in Hanging-sword Alley，Whitefriars：the time，half-past seven of the clock and a windy March morning，Anno Domini seventeen hundred and eighty.（Mr.Cruncher himself always spoke of the year of our Lord as Anna Dominoes：apparently under the impression that the Christian era dated from the invention of a popular game，by a lady who had bestowed her name upon it.）Mr.Cruncher's apartments were not in a savoury neighbourhood，and were but two in number，even if a closet with a single pane of glass in it might be counted as one.But they were very decently kept.Early as it was，on the windy March morning，the room in which he lay a-bed was already scrubbed throughout；and between the cups and saucers arranged for breakfast，and the lumbering deal table，a very clean white cloth was spread.
Mr. Cruncher reposed under a patchwork counterpane，like a Harlequin at home.At first，he slept heavily，but，by degrees，began to roll and surge in bed，until he rose above the surface，with his spiky hair looking as if it must tear the sheets to ribbons.At which juncture，he exclaimed，in a voice of dire exasperation：
'Bust me，if she ain't at it agin！'
A woman of orderly and industrious appearance rose from her knees in a corner，with sufficient haste and trepidation to show that she was the person referred to.
'What！'said Mr. Cruncher，looking out of bed for a boot.'You're at it agin，are you？'
After hailing the morn with this second salutation，he threw a boot at the woman as a third. It was a very muddy boot，and may introduce the odd circumstance connected with Mr.Cruncher's domestic economy，that，whereas he often came home after banking hours with clean boots，he often got up next morning to find the same boots covered with clay.
'What，'said Mr. Cruncher，varying his apostrophe after missing his mark—'what are you up to，Aggerawayter？'
'I was only saying my prayers.'
'Saying your prayers！You're a nice woman！What do you mean by flopping yourself down and praying agin me？'
'I was not praying against you；I was praying for you.'
'You weren't. And if you were，I won't be took the liberty with.Here！your mother's a nice woman，young Jerry，going a praying agin your father's prosperity.You've got a dutiful mother，you have，my son.You've got a religious mother，you have，my boy：going and flopping herself down，and praying that the bread-and-butter may be snatched out of the mouth of her only child.'
Master Cruncher（who was in his shirt）took this very ill，and，turning to his mother，strongly deprecated any praying away of his personal board.
'And what do you suppose，you conceited female，'said Mr. Cruncher，with unconscious inconsistency，'that the worth of your prayers may be？Name the price that you put your prayers at！'
'They only come from the heart，Jerry. They are worth no more than that.'
'Worth no more than that，'repeated Mr. Cruncher.'They ain'tworth much，then.Whether or no，I won't be prayed agin，I tell you.I can't afford it.I'm not a going to be made unlucky by your sneaking.If you must go flopping yourself down，flop in favour of your husband and child，and not in opposition to'em.If I had had any but a unnat'ral wife，and this poor boy had had any but a unnat'ral mother，I might have made some money last week instead of being counterprayed and countermined and religiously circumwented into the worst of luck.B-u-u-ust me！'said Mr.Cruncher，who all this time had been putting on his clothes，'if I ain't，what with piety and one blowed thing and another，been choused this last week into as bad luck as ever a poor devil of a honest tradesman met with！Young Jerry，dress yourself，my boy，and while I clean my boots keep an eye upon your mother now and then，and if you see any signs of more flopping，give me a call.For，I tell you，'here he addressed his wife once more，'I won't be gone agin，in this matter.I am as rickety as a hackney-coach，I'm as sleepy as laudanum，my lines is strained to that degree that I shouldn't know，if it wasn't for the pain in'em，which was me and which somebody else，yet I'm none the better for it in pocket；and it's my suspicion that you've been at it from morning to night to prevent me from being the better for it in pocket，and I won't put up with it，Aggerawayter，and what do you say now！'
Growling，in addition，such phrases as'Ah！yes！You're religious，too. You wouldn't put yourself in opposition to the interests of your husband and child，would you？Not you！'and throwing off other sarcastic sparks from the whirling grindstone of his indignation，Mr.Cruncher betook himself to his boot-cleaning and his general preparation for business.In the meantime，his son，whose head was garnished with tenderer spikes，and whose youngeyes stood close by one another，as his father's did，kept the required watch upon his mother.He greatly disturbed the poor woman at intervals，by darting out of his sleeping closet，where he made his toilet，with a suppressed cry of'You are going to flop，mother.—Halloa，father！'and，after raising this fictitious alarm，darting in again with an undutiful grin.
Mr. Cruncher's temper was not at all improved when he came to his breakfast.He resented Mrs.Cruncher's saying grace with particular animosity.
'Now，Aggerawayter！What are you up to？At it agin？'
His wife explained that she had merely'asked a blessing.'
'Don't do it！'said Mr. Cruncher，looking about，as if he rather expected to see the loaf disappear under the efficacy of his wife's petitions.'I ain't a going to be blest out of house and home.I won't have my wittles blest off my table.Keep still！'