That a cold wind may not blow into the room;
but this not probable, for it will be easy
for those remaining in the apartment to rise
and shut the door themselves, . . . . . . . . . 1
That by a faint possibility you may give
offence by leaving the door open, . . . . . . . 1
That you may prevent persons outside overhearing
what is said; this of small account, for people
should not speak about things they do not wish
to be repeated, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
--
3
Deducting 3 from 16, 13 remain. Result--balance of 13-19ths in favour of
not shutting the door. Nothing, therefore, could be more clearly
demonstrated than that the Scotch are strongly justified in leaving the
door open when they quit an apartment. Doubts, indeed, may be
entertained as to the values arbitrarily put on the respective items in
the account: but to venture into this remote part of the inquiry would
be to plunge us into the depths of metaphysics. Even supposing we were
to make the matter as clear as the sun at noonday, there would still be
sceptics. On shewing the above arithmetical calculation, for example, to
an English lady, who has for a number of years studied Scotch character
and manners, she, with a degree of bluntness that was exceedingly
startling, gave it as her unqualified opinion, that the whole thing was
a piece of nonsense; and that the only reason, as far as she could
observe, why the Scotch do not shut the door, is that they have never
been taught that it is consistent with good-manners to do so. The
audacity of some people is really wonderful!