'Not so soon, my dear, as you may fancy, perhaps,' continued he.

'Why, man, I have been given over any time these four years; and there was always a candidate or two waiting to apply for the situation.

Who knows how long I may keep you waiting ?' and he DID keep me waiting some little time longer than at that period there was any reason to suspect.
As I declared myself pretty openly, according to my usual way, and authors are accustomed to describe the persons of the ladies with whom their heroes fall in love; in compliance with this fashion, I perhaps should say a word or two respecting the charms of my Lady Lyndon.

But though I celebrated them in many copies of verses, of my own and other persons' writing; and though I filled reams of paper in the passionate style of those days with compliments to every one of her beauties and smiles, in which I compared her to every flower, goddess, or famous heroine ever heard of,--truth compels me to say that there was nothing divine about her at all.

She was very well; but no more.