My father and mother forced me to marry the dear old man, and I did so to please them; but at the same time he was very kind in his manner to me--indeed, so kind that he allowed me a shilling a month for pocket money." "Well, but what is your object in coming to me ?" "Why, sir, to ask your opinion on a case of great difficulty." "Very well, madam; you shall have the best opinion in the known world upon the subject--that is, as soon as I hear it.

Speak out without hesitation, and conceal nothing." "Why, sir, the poor dear man before his death--ah, that ever my darling old Paul should have been taken away from me!--the poor dear man, before his death--ahem--before his death--O, ah,"-- here came another effusion--"began to--to--to--get jealous of me with a young man in the neighborhood that--that--I was fond of before I married my dear old Paul." "Was the young man in question handsome ?" "Indeed, sir, he was, and is, very handsome--and the impudent minxes of the parish are throwing their caps at him in dozens." "But still you are keeping me in the dark." "Well, sir, I will tell you my difficulty.

When poor dear old Paul was dying, he called me to the bed-side one day, and says to me: 'Biddy,' says he, 'I'm going to die--and you know I am wealthy; but, in the meantime, I won't leave you sixpence.' 'It's not the loss of your money I am thinking of, my darling Paul,' says I, 'but the loss of yourself"-- and I kissed him, and cried.

'You didn' often kiss me that way before,' said he--' and I know what you're kissing me for now.' 'No,' I said, 'I did not; because I had no notion then of losing you, my own darling Paul--you don't know how I loved you all along, Paul,' said I; 'kiss me again, jewel.' 'Now,' said he,' I'm not going to leave you sixpence, and I'll tell you why--I saw young Charley Mulvany, that you were courting before I married you--I saw him, I say, through the windy there, kiss you, with my own eyes, when you thought I was asleep--and you put your arms about his neck and hugged him,' said he.

I must be particular, sir, in order that you may understand the difficulty I'm in." "Proceed, madam," said the conjurer.