le dram in the
course of the day, or, perhaps, too often took out from her stomacher a
huge black japanned snuffbox, and fed her respectable nose very richly
with pure Oppenbacher. The kind reader has already observed that this
remarkable person is the very same Alina who managed the business of
the Christmas-boxes. Heaven knows how she came by the celebrated name
of the Queen of Golconda!

But if the fathers desired that the rich agreeable Mr. Peregrine should
lay aside his horror of women and marry without more ado, the old
bachelors, on the other hand, said that he did quite right to remain
single, as his turn of mind was not suited to matrimony. It was
unlucky, however, that at the phrase "turn of mind," not a few made a
very mysterious face; and upon close inquiry, gave it to be pretty
plainly understood, that Mr. Peregrine Tyss was at times a little
cracked. The numerous retailers of this opinion belonged chiefly to
those who are firmly convinced that on the great high way of life,
which is to be kept according to reason and prudence, the nose is the
best guide; and who would rather put on blinkers than be led aside by
any odorous shrub or blooming meadow that grows by the way. It was,
however, true that Peregrine had many things about him which people
could not comprehend.

It has been already said that his father was a rich and respectable
merchant; when to this is added that he owned a handsome house in the
Horse-market, and that in this house, in the very same chamber where
the little Peregrine had always received his Christmas-boxes, the
grown-up Peregrine was now receiving them, there is no room to doubt
that the place of the strange adventures to be narrated in this history
is the celebrated city of Frankfort on the Maine. Of his parents little
more is to be told than that they were quiet honest folks, of whom no
one could speak any thing but good. The unbounded esteem which Mr. Tyss
enjoyed upon 'Change he owed to two circumstances; he always speculated
well and safely, gaining one sum after the other; while at the same
time he never presumed, but remained modest as before, and made no
boast of his wealth, which he showed merely by his haggling about
nothing, and being indulgence itself towards insolvent debtors who had
fallen into misfortune, even though it were deservedly.

For a long time the marriage of Mr. Tyss was unfruitful, till at
length, after almost twenty years, Mrs. Tyss rejoiced her husban