"
The lady put the spectre of an old fan up to her withered visage, and
pretended to enact a blush of admission.
"Well, sir," she replied, "I--I--I cannot say but that--indeed I have
been charged with--not that it--cruelty--I mean--was ever in my heart;
but you must admit, sir, that--that--in fact--where too many press, upon
a person, it is the more difficult choose."
"Unquestionably; but you should have, made a judicious selection--and
that was because you were in no hurry--and indeed you need not be; you
have plenty of time before you. Still, there is much blame attached to
you--you have defrauded society of its rights. Why, now, you might have
been the proud mother of a son or daughter at least five years old by
this time, if it had not been for your own obduracy--excuse me."
Up went the skeleton fan again with a wonderfully modest if not an
offended simper at the notion of such an insinuation; but, said she
in her heart, this is the most gentlemanly conjurer that ever told a
fortune; quite a delightful old gentleman; he is really charming; I wish
I had met him twenty years ago.
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