In which hams and stocks are discussed

          As they made their way along the path that skirted the lawn, there rose from the wet earth like incense the fragrance of the sweet flowers of the night. All wasted on J. B. Duff. His heart continued heavy.
          Mrs. Chavender, on the other hand, whose heart was light, sniffed appreciatively.
          "Ah!"
          "Eh?"
          "Um!"
          "Oh?" said Mr. Duff, getting her meaning.
          "Stocks," said Mrs. Chavender. "You can't beat the scent of stocks."
          "Swell smell," agreed Mr. Duff. Mrs. Chavender seemed pleased by this poetic eulogy.
          "You know, you've become a lot more spiritual since I first knew you, Jimmy. There's a sort of lyrical note in your conversation which used not to be there. About now, in the old days, if I had mentioned the scent of stocks, you would have been comparing it to its disadvantage with the smell of Paramount Ham in the early boiling stage."

(from Quick Service, by Sir Pelham Wodehouse)


Stocks