ince been told that it
is not new--I must tell it nevertheless.

A certain little army surgeon, who was stationed at Bangalore, had
selected a very pretty little girl out of an invoice of young ladies,
who had been freighted-out on speculation. She was very fond of gaiety
and amusement, and, after her marriage, appeared to be much fonder of
passing away the night at a ball than in the arms of her little doctor.
Nevertheless, although she kept late hours, in every respect she was
very correct. The doctor, who was a quiet, sober man, and careful of
his health, preferred going to bed early, and rising before the sun, to
inhale the cool breeze of the morning. And as the lady seldom came home
till past midnight, he was not very well pleased at being disturbed by
her late hours. At last, his patience was wearied out, and he told her
plainly, that if she staid out later than twelve o'clock, he was
resolved not to give her admittance. At this, his young wife, who, like
all pretty women, imagined that he never would presume to do any such
thing, laughed heartily, and from the next ball to which she was
invited, did not return till half-past two in the morning. As soon as
she arrived, the palanquin-bearers knocked for admittance; but the
doctor, true to his word, put his head out of the window, and very
ungallantly told his wife she might remain all night. The lady coaxed,
entreated, expostulated, and threatened; but it was all in vain. At
last she screamed, and appeared to be frantic, declaring that if not
immediately admitted, she would throw herself into the well, which was
in the compound, not fifty yards from the bungalow. The doctor begged
that she would do so, if that gave her any pleasure, and then retired
from the window. His wife ordered the bearers to take her on her
palanquin to the well; she got out, and gave her directions, and then
slipped away up to the bungalow, and stationed herself close to the
door, against the wall. The bearers, in obedience to her directions,
commenced crying out, as if expostulating with their mistress, and then
detaching a large and heavy stone, two of them plunged it into the
water; after which, they all set up a howl of lamentation. Now the
little doctor, notwithstanding all his firmness and _nonchalance_, was
not quite at ease when he heard his wife express her determination. He
knew her to be _very entetee_, and he remained on the watch. He heard
the heavy plunge, followe