ly hot-tempered old boy!"

I did not comprehend the reasons for such exuberant anger, but, of
course, young HOWARD insisted so urgently on physical dangers to myself
if I delayed, that I hastened stealthily to my room by a backstair, and
flinging my _paraphernalia_ with incredible despatch into a portmanteau,
was so fortunate as to convey it out of the house without attracting the
invidious attention of my host and hostess, who were probably still
occupied in foaming and rolling upon the carpet like angry waves of the
sea.

Young HOWARD accompanied me to the station, though blaming me as the
cause of his embroilment with his progenitors, who, it seems, had
insisted--quite unjustly--that he must have known from the first that my
nobility was merely a brevet rank; and Miss WEE-WEE bade me farewell
with a soft and perfectly ladylike cordiality, being too grieved by my
departure to make any allusion to the head and front of my offending.

Now I am once more in London, paying daily visits of several hours to
the office of my solicitor, in order to assist him in the preparation of
my brief.

[Illustration: BABOO CHUCKERBUTTY RAM.]

The other day, Baboo JALPANYBHOY and Baboo CHUCKERBUTTY RAM attended for
the purpose of arranging their evidence, when I regret to say the former
made a rather paltry exhibition of himself, being declared by Mr SMARTLE
himself to be totally incompetent to prove anything whatever material to
the case, and I am therefore resolved to refuse him admission to the
witness-box.

I am more hopeful of Mr CHUCKERBUTTY RAM, who, I think, after diligent
coaching from myself, may be induced to restrain his natural garrulity,
and speak no more than is set down for him, which is simply that I have
already, in his presence, contracted matrimony with a juvenile native,
and that the laws of my country entitle me to marry several more.

This is in support of one of my most subtle pleadings of defence, to
wit, that I have already offered to marry the plaintiff according to my
country's laws, but that she did definitely decline such a marriage as
polygamous (which it is indubitably liable to become at any moment),
consequently, that my said contract is nilled by mutual consent.

Mr SMARTLE was of the opinion that the plaintiff's solicitors would move
to strike out such a pleading as bad in law, since it is no defence to
an action for breach of promise that the defendant is already the
Benedick. Fortunately the