(which means a bond for so many hundred or thousand pounds). No; if I
marry, I marry; but catch me promising.' And thus, for fear of being
trapped into committing himself, he avoids the society of women (where he
might learn not only to really love, but to see the sophistry of his
reasoning), and eventually settles down into old bachelorhood. What do
the ladies say to this? Don't let them think I am a crusty old bachelor.
Heaven forfend! I protest my supreme admiration of the fair sex, and had
better say I am, A FAMILY MAN."

"An unmarried young girl" replies: "Sir, In looking over your valuable
paper of to-day, I saw a letter headed, 'Why do not the men propose?'
which I read with great interest, as I found that the writer, although of
the opposite sex, was of the same opinion as myself, in regard to ladies
prosecuting their late lovers for breach of promise of marriage. I do
think it shows in them a mean spirit of revenge, of which a lady should
not be guilty. It certainly does look as if they thought more of a
shelter, a name, and a ring, than they do of a comfortable home and a
loving and affectionate husband. I do not think it wise of them, as it
must lower themselves and all their sex in the estimation of the other
sex. Besides, it does not speak much of their love for their lovers, for
you know love hides many faults. I have never been deceived by any man,
and I hope I never may, but the best advice I can give to my poor
deceived sisters is to try and forget their faithless swains, and leave
them to the stings and reflections of their own consciences, which will
be a far greater punishment to them than parting with thousands of gold
and silver. Let them be thankful that they have shown themselves in
their true colours before they had entered on a life of unhappiness and
misery, feeling assured that the man who could deceive a fond, loving
woman is a man of no principle at all. For my own part, I would scorn
the man who ever proved false to a woman,--I would not trust him even in
business." After this condemnation by a woman, let us trust we shall
hear less for the future of breach of promise cases.

CHAPTER XIV.
COMMERCIAL LONDON.

In the Loudon Bankruptcy Court, at times, melancholy revelations are
made--revelations which, indeed, do "point a moral," though they can
hardly be said "to adorn a tale." Too generally the manifestations are
the same--the hastening to be rich, which to so many