A sudden jolt as we thundered over some points caused me to shoot a
piece of bread-and-butter on to the floor. I stooped to pick it up.
"Stop a moment, please!" cried my companion. He jumped to his feet and
examined it. "Ah," said he, "buttered side downward!"
"It's always the same," I said, as I jerked the thing viciously out of
the window. "It's _always_ buttered side downward."
"No, there you fall into a common error," protested the other. "You may
take it that fifty-seven per cent. fall buttered side upward, and only
forty-three per cent. buttered side downward."
"H'm," I said dubiously.
"You must pardon me for my officiousness," he went on, "especially as I
have now no reason to be interested in such things. But habits are
strong."