found she was escorted, not only by her eagle-eyed mother (Jessimina herself inherits, in Hamlet's immortal phraseology, "an eye like Ma's, to threaten or command"), but also by a juvenile individual with a black neck-tie and Hebrew profile, whom she formerly introduced to me as Mr Solomons.
Though a little hurt by this proof of the rapidity of feminine fickleness, I began to congratulate her effusively on having obtained such an excellent substitute for my worthless self, and to wish the happy couple all earthly felicities, when she explained that he was not a fiancé but merely a sort of friend, and Mrs Mankletow severely added that they had come to know whether I still declined to fulfil my legal contract.
Naturally I made the answer that I had recently offered to fulfil same to best ability, but that, my offer having been declined with contumeliousness, the affair was now on its end.
Here Jessimina said that she had of course refused to marry a man who declared that he was already the owner of a dusky spouse, but that, on inquiries from Mr Chuckerbutty Ram, she had made the discovery that my said infant wife had popped off with some juvenile complaint or other three or four years ago.
At this I was rendered completely flabaghast—for, although the allegation was undeniably correct, I had confidently hoped that my friend
