must not give us your mere suppositions.
Now, did he never pay you a visit, or take you for a walk, say on
Wednesdays? That would be early-closing day, I believe."

"Never for the last three years, sir, after he became a Freemason.
Wednesdays was lodge-night."

"Well then, on Saturday, after shop hours?"

"Yes, he used to come on Saturdays, till he was made a Forester.
The Foresters meet every Saturday evening."

"Mondays then, or Tuesdays? We haven't exhausted the week yet, Miss
Cox."

"No, sir. Mondays he was a Rechabite and went to tent. Tuesdays he
would be an Ancient Druid--"

"Gently! On Mondays, you say, he was a Rechabite and went to tent.
What is a Rechabite? And what does he do in a tent?"

_Plaintiff_ (dissolving in tears): "Ah, sir, if I only knew!"

Here the Judge interposed. A Rechabite, he believed, went to a tent, or
habitation, for the purpose (among others) of abstaining from alcoholic
drinks.

_Plaintiff_ (briskly): "But, my lord, you wouldn't call that proper
courting!"

Defendant's counsel had taken this opportunity to resume his seat.
But counsel for the plaintiff now arose, with a smile, to re-examine.

"Did Mr. Pretyman walk out with you on Thursday evenings?"

"Oh no, sir. On Thursday evenings Mr. Pretyman was an Oddfellow."

"I think we have only to account for Fridays," said his lordship, after
consulting his notes.

"On Fridays, my lord, Mr. Pretyman was an Ancient Buffalo."

"An Ancient Buffalo?"

"Yes, my lord (sobbing). I don't know what it means, but that was the
last straw."

"The first question for the jury to determine," said his lordship, a
little later, "is whether an affianced young woman, as such, has a right
to expect from her betrothed such attentions as may reasonably be taken
as earnest of his desire to fulfil his contract within a reasonable
time. In the present instance, the fact that the contract was made does
not stand in doubt; it is not disputed. Now arises a second question.
Can a man who is on weekdays a Freemason, a Rechabite, an Oddfellow, a
Forester, an Ancient Druid, and an Ancient Buffalo, and on
Sundays (as I gather) a Yarmouth Bloater--"

"Plymouth Brother, my lord," plaintiff's counsel corrected.

"I beg your pardon--a Plymouth Brother. I say, can a man who after his
betrothal voluntarily preoccupies himself with these multifarious
functions be held--I will not say to have disqualified himself for that
willing exchange of c