Catherine had a paperback called Graphology: The Mind in the Hand, which gave her all sorts of warnings about people’s tendencies and repressions (“Artist or Madman?” “Pet or Brute?”). “It's those enormous ascenders, darling,” she said: “I see a lot of ego.”

Would I had him here again, I would so bounce him , I would so thank his lordship for his lewd plot.

'Malarkey and confustication,' said Mrs Brummidge, trying not to laugh.

The most serious cold water swimmers participate in competitive ice swimming events in bodies of water less than 41 °F (5 °C), sometimes carved out of frozen rivers or lakes and part of the International Winter Swimming Association and the International Ice Swimming Association.