“No more did I,” said Sam. “But Mary, my dear”⁠—here Sam’s manner grew extremely affectionate⁠—“Mary, my dear, I’ve got another affair in hand as is wery pressin’. There’s one o’ my governor’s friends⁠— Mr. Winkle, you remember him?”

“Him in the green coat?” said Mary. “Oh, yes, I remember him.”

“Well,” said Sam, “he’s in a horrid state o’ love; reg’larly comfoozled, and done over vith it.”

“Lor!” interposed Mary.

“Yes,” said Sam; “but that’s nothin’ if we could find out the young ’ooman”; and here Sam, with many digressions upon the personal beauty of Mary, and the unspeakable tortures he had experienced since he last saw her, gave a faithful account of Mr. Winkle’s present predicament.

“Well,” said Mary, “I never did!”