I think you are all reasonably well aware that the common picture of the surveying and mapping profession is proabably best exemplified at the present time by the old poke who is out with a rickety old transit, wearing old ragged clothes.

...grinning like the Joker, Batman's nemesis, a character described in the story as being a favorite of Douglas's.

They were going to stay in and read, but instead went out shopping.

I had just time to see that all the frogs and frogesses behind us had formed a procession, two by two, when suddenly from down by the river edge there came the sound of music.