THE TISIT OW A SILVERSMITH, AND 
ITS RESULTS, 
^ if he was anything hut one, or at all events 
shewing, which no doubt was a mere sham that she 
did not love him, suddenly to his astonishment and 
delight became very affectionate. One evening as he 
he was sitting alone under the shade ©f some plantain 
trees, resting after the day’s work, she came briskly 
up to the spot and sat down close, very close, beside 
him. She said it had been a hard day’s work, and 
she was very tired, so of course she leaned on his 
breast and shoulders, sighing deeply. After a time, her 
piouth came into close proximity with his, and while 
he was all in trembling expectation it suddenly turned 
round to his ear and whispered ? “ What, what do you 
think,” she whispered at this very interesting and trying 
moment, Tattan, velliku vendum (The silversmith, 
silver rupees I want). The poor man felt quite over- 
come in this very trying position? and—but what 
©an you expect in a man — made no reply, but in 
a rough and rude manner made violent attempts to 
kiss her. The lady however resistedi It might be that 
she had considerable experience in the habits of men, 
and suspected that, if she yielded the kiss first, the 
man might say afterwards, but not before, that he 
was sorry;, but that he had no rupees at all, no silver! 
So she buried her face in her lap, at the same time 
clasping her clenched fingers over the back of her head, 
which acted as a sort of lever in keeping the head and 
face down. When this position is adopted, it is in vain 
for any man whatever to attempt to kiss a woman— 
against her will. The lover, finding no kiss was to be 
had without the silver, arranged about supplying it and 
said that he had some rupees in his bos, which he would 
lend upon security of her bracelets, after they were 
made and the lady, like a wise lady, struck the iron, 
when hot, and said, “Bring now^ ^nd you can take a 
kiss.” The money was brought and counted out into her 
hands, and, just as the lover’s arms were raised to 
clasp the neck of the darling, up she starts with a 
bound and is off, rupees and all, leaving the astonished 
fond lover to fold in his outstretched arms and kiss the 
air ! But, happily this is an extreme and uncommon 
view of the case’’, the feature of which would be more 
truly represented as being lovers’ quarrels and flirta^ 
tions, which are fundamentally pretty much the same 
in civilized and uncivilised life, all over the world, 
of course in accordance with the position, sphere of life 
and education of those who quarrel. What the Tamil 
lady said, ‘‘No kiss without the silver,” is just in a 
higher degree true in European life, which is, “ No 
daughter lor you without the settlements.” Love is a 
tradition of thp past, we don’t talk of it now. We say 
