144 AN ECCENTRIC 



certainly, and, for the proper acceptation of that term, I 

 must refer my reader to the page of the great lexico- 

 grapher ; though he applies it in the masculine gender 

 only. Her possession of this singular characteristic 

 exposed her to the laughter of the vulgar, though from 

 those who knew her history it drew forth commiseration. 



When I first knew her, the personal charms that nature 

 had bestowed on her were on the wane ; and from others 

 I learned, that, like the widow of Siclia3us, she had once 

 fondled the gentle god, and that, like her, had been 

 deceived and deserted ; but not like her did she immolate 

 herself, and cherish the dying hope that her shade 

 would follow her destroyer in all his wanderings. She 

 resolved to haunt Avith her real presence the authors of 

 her disappointment, and they must have supposed her 

 gifted with the power of ubiquity — for, wherever the 

 happy couple went, they found this victim of unrequited 

 affection. On one occasion, for mixing a little of the 

 animosity of the viper with the innocence of the dove, 

 she found herself incarcerated for a week in Maidstone 

 gaol. 



In consequence, then, of this enduring attachment, she 

 was a frequent customer, and in fine weather Avould 

 seat herself, with her maid, on the roof; and her mis- 

 fortunes not having disabled the member that can both 

 charm and cheat the understanding, she would pour 

 in my ears a rhodomontade of unintelligible, self- 

 important occurrences, that only terminated with the 

 journey, and an appeal to my patronage for her long- 

 intended literary production. 



This was her constant theme, and she would let no 



