way, and then one day the young lady came and
gave Ma three ounces of silver, saying, "You have often asked me for
money, but in consequence of your bad luck I have always refrained
from giving you any. Now, however, your marriage is at hand, and
I here give you the cost of a wife, which you may also regard as a
parting gift from me." Ma replied that he was not engaged, to which the
young lady answered that in a few days a go-between would visit him
to arrange the affair. "And what will she be like?" asked Ma. "Why,
as your aspirations are for 'surpassing' beauty," replied the young
lady, "of course she will be possessed of surpassing beauty." "I hardly
expect that," said Ma; "at any rate, three ounces of silver will not be
enough to get a wife." "Marriages," explained the young lady, "are made
in the moon; [40] mortals have nothing to do with them." "And why must
you be going away like this?" inquired Ma. "Because," answered she,
"for us to meet only by night is not the proper thing. I had better
get you another wife and have done with you." Then when morning came
she departed, giving Ma a pinch of yellow powder, saying, "In case
you are ill after we are separated, this will cure you." Next day,
sure enough, a go-between did come, and Ma at once asked what the
proposed bride was like; to which the former replied that she was
very passable-looking. Four or five ounces of silver was fixed as the
marriage present, Ma making no difficulty on that score, but declaring
he must have a peep at the young lady. [41] The go-between said she
was a respectable girl, and would never allow herself to be seen;
however, it was arranged that they should go to the house together,
and await a good opportunity. So off they went, Ma remaining outside
while the go-between went in, returning in a little while to tell
him it was all right. "A relative of mine lives in the same court,
and just now I saw the young lady sitting in the hall. We have only
got to pretend we are going to see my relative, and you will be able
to get a glimpse of her." Ma consented, and they accordingly passed
through the hall, where he saw the young lady sitting down with her
head bent forward while some one was scratching her back. She seemed
to be all that the go-between had said; but when they came to discuss
the money it appeared that the young lady wanted only one or two ounces
of silver, just to buy herself a few clothes, etc., which Ma thought
was a very small