ll that. No
end of walks in woods. I wonder she hasn't tired poor Amy to death.
She's taken to it as bad as ever lately again, and takes no end of
rambles in Bushy Park. You're a lucky fellow, Shookers; for I'm sure
she's thinking of you all the time she's pacing up and down among the
trees."

"She had better take as much as she can of the trees," answered the
lover; "there's no great temptation to ramble in Singapore. She won't
have much more of it, for we must sail in the next ship."

"I always said Betsy Juffles would make a good marriage after
all--though she's such a comical girl, I shouldn't be surprised if she
carried on her jokes to the very last, and pretended to care about some
of her old admirers even now."

"She's very welcome," said Mr Shookers; "it's reg'lar good fun seeing
her trot out a spoony. How she makes us laugh, to be sure!"

The two gentlemen seemed so overcome with the facetiousness of their
recollections, that they broke into a laugh that lasted nearly a mile.

I felt somewhat in the situation of Scrub. "Could they be laughing at
me? Was I again the victim of a consummate actress?"

"Old Juffles comes it handsome, I hope?" said Mr Jeeks.

"I'm perfectly satisfied at all events," replied his friend. "He gives
me a trifle on the wedding-day, and makes a good settlement besides."

"When is the wedding?"

"It is fixed for this day month, the fourteenth of May. We embark on the
next day, and drop down to Gravesend. Aren't you asked to attend?"

"Oh, we're all coming--governor and all! I don't see why my cousin
opposite should not get an invite too. But he has been looking out of
the window so hard, he hasn't heard a word of what we've said. Oh, of
course not!"

"If you would like to come to it, sir," said Mr Shookers, who sat on the
same side with me, _vis-a-vis_ with his friend, "I shall be very glad;
and I feel sure I can answer for Betsy too, sir."

"Don't be too sure of that," interrupted Mr Jeeks. "It takes a deal of
philosophy to do things of the kind."

"You seem to be asking me to some meeting, sir. May I beg you to
understand, once for all, that I have nothing whatever to say to this
most contemptible poltroon, Mr Jeeks, nor to any of his friends."

"I was going to ask you to my marriage, sir; and if you had been a
gentleman, or behaved as such"----

I felt my hands clutching with an irrepressible desire to seize Mr
Shookers by the throat; but I had no time. Before he had a