uld still
continue true to him." And, gentlemen, she answered, though in a voice
scarcely audible, "Yes;" and, immediately after, the two walked out of
the church arm in arm, in spite of the remonstrances and even threats
of myself and my friends--leaving us, and me in particular, to such
reflections on the uncertainty of all human events as the circumstance
which had just occurred was calculated to excite. In three weeks after,
the stranger and Jessie were married. Who he was is soon explained. He
had been a favoured lover of Jessie's some seven years before, and had
gone abroad, where it was believed he had died, there having been no
word from him during the greater part of that period. How this was
explained I never knew; but that he was not dead, you will allow was now
pretty clearly established.

Now, gentlemen (added our little friend), I have brought my mishaps up
to the present date. What may be still in store for me, I know not; but
I have now brought myself to the peaceful and most comfortable condition
of having no hopes of succeeding in anything, and therefore am freed, at
least, from all liability to the pains of disappointment." And here
ended the story of the little hump-backed gentleman in the bright yellow
waistcoat.

We all felt for his disappointments, and wished him better luck.

The person to whose turn it came next to entertain us, was a quiet,
demure looking personage, of grave demeanour, but of mild and pleasant
countenance. His gravity, we thought, partook a little of melancholy;
and he was, in consequence, recognised generally in the house by the
title of the melancholy gentleman. He was, however, very far from being
morose; indeed, on the contrary, he was exceedingly kind and gentle in
his manner, and would not, I am convinced, have harmed the meanest
insect that crawls, let alone his own species.

"Well, gentlemen," said this person, on being informed that it was his
turn to divert us with some story or other, "I will do the best I can
to entertain you, and will follow the example of my unfortunate
predecessor of the evening, by choosing a subject of something of a
personal nature."

"To begin, then, my friends," went on the melancholy gentleman--"I do
not, I think, arrogate too much when I say that I am as peaceable and
peace-loving a man as ever existed. I have always abhorred strife and
wrangling; and never knowingly or willingly interfere in any way with
the affairs of my neighbours