IV

Never, never, never, marry a little man!’ Papa also would remark to me (he possessed extraordinary humour), ‘that a family of whales must not ally themselves with sprats.’ His company was eagerly sought, as may be supposed, by the wits of the day, and our house was their continual resort. I have known as many as three copperplate engravers exchanging the most exquisite sallies and retorts there, at one time.” (Here Mr. Sampson delivered himself captive, and said, with an uneasy movement on his chair, that three was a large number, and it must have been highly entertaining.) “Among the most prominent members of that distinguished circle, was a gentleman measuring six feet four in height. He was not an engraver.” (Here Mr. Sampson said, with no reason whatever, Of course not.) “This gentleman was so obliging as to honour me with attentions which I could not fail to understand.” (Here Mr. Sampson murmured that when it came to that, you could always tell.) “I immediately announced to both my parents that those attentions were misplaced, and that I could not favour his suit. They inquired was he too tall? I replied it was not the stature, but the intellect was too lofty. At our house, I said, the tone was too brilliant, the pressure was too high, to be