at the day was severe, but that he was
delighted to perceive from our appearance that it agreed with us
wonderfully; and then went on to observe, that, notwithstanding the
coldness of the weather, he had that morning seen in the paper an
exceedingly curious paragraph, to the effect, that there was now in the
garden of Mr. Wilkins of Chichester, a pumpkin, measuring four feet in
height, and eleven feet seven inches in circumference, which he looked
upon as a very extraordinary piece of intelligence. We ventured to
remark, that we had a dim recollection of having once or twice before
observed a similar paragraph in the public prints, upon which Mr. Mincin
took us confidentially by the button, and said, Exactly, exactly, to be
sure, we were very right, and he wondered what the editors meant by
putting in such things. Who the deuce, he should like to know, did they
suppose cared about them? that struck him as being the best of it.

The lady of the house appeared shortly afterwards, and Mr. Mincin's
friendliness, as will readily be supposed, suffered no diminution in
consequence; he exerted much strength and skill in wheeling a large
easy-chair up to the fire, and the lady being seated in it, carefully
closed the door, stirred the fire, and looked to the windows to see that
they admitted no air; having satisfied himself upon all these points, he
expressed himself quite easy in his mind, and begged to know how she
found herself to-day. Upon the lady's replying very well, Mr. Mincin
(who it appeared was a medical gentleman) offered some general remarks
upon the nature and treatment of colds in the head, which occupied us
agreeably until dinner-time. During the meal, he devoted himself to
complimenting everybody, not forgetting himself, so that we were an
uncommonly agreeable quartette.

'I'll tell you what, Capper,' said Mr. Mincin to our host, as he closed
the room door after the lady had retired, 'you have very great reason to
be fond of your wife. Sweet woman, Mrs. Capper, sir!' 'Nay, Mincin--I
beg,' interposed the host, as we were about to reply that Mrs. Capper
unquestionably was particularly sweet. 'Pray, Mincin, don't.' 'Why
not?' exclaimed Mr. Mincin, 'why not? Why should you feel any delicacy
before your old friend--_our_ old friend, if I may be allowed to call you
so, sir; why should you, I ask?' We of course wished to know why he
should also, upon which our friend admitted that Mrs. Capper _was_ a very
sw