Titmouse
was left alone in a half frantic state, in which he continued for nearly
two hours. Once again he read over the atrocious puffs which had
over-night inflated him to such a degree, and he now saw that they were
all lies. This is a sample of them:

"This divine fluid (as it was enthusiastically styled to the
inventor, by the lovely Duchess of Dunderwhistle) possesses the
inestimable and astonishing quality of changing hair, of whatever
color, to a dazzling jet-black; at the same time imparting to it a
rich glossy appearance, which wonderfully contributes to the
imposing _tout-ensemble_ presented by those who use it. That
well-known ornament of the circle of fashion, the young and lovely
Mrs. Fitzfrippery, owned to the proprietor that to this surprising
fluid it was that she was indebted for those unrivalled raven
ringlets which attracted the eyes of envying and admiring crowds,"
and so forth.

A little farther on:--

"This exquisite effect is not _in all cases_ produced
instantaneously; much will of course depend (as the celebrated M.
Dupuytren, of the Hotel Dieu, at Paris, informed the inventor) on
the physical idiosyncrasy of the party using it, with reference to
the constituent particles of the coloring matter constituting the
fluid in the capillary vessels. Often a single application suffices
to change the most hopeless-looking head of red hair to as deep a
black; but, not unfrequently, the hair _passes through intermediate
shades and tints_--all, however, ultimately settling into a deep
and permanent black."

This passage not a little revived the drooping spirits of Titmouse.
Accidentally, however, an asterisk at the last word in the above
sentence, directed his eye to a note at the bottom of the page, printed
in such minute type as would have baffled any but the strongest sight
and most determined eye to read, and which said note was the
following:--

"Though cases _do_, undoubtedly, occasionally occur, in which the
native inherent indestructible qualities of the hair defy all
attempts at change or even modification, and resist even _this_
potent remedy: of which, however, in all his experience" (the
wonderful specific has been invented for about _six months_) "the
inventor has known but very few instances."

But to this exceedingly select class of unfortunate incura