Next morning, I had a visit from him, before I got out of my bed. He came into my room with a most ludicrous, serio-comic expression of countenance, and drawing a long sigh, sat down on a chair by my bedside without uttering a word. As I had not forgotten his strange conduct the day before, I thought I would let him have his own way, and leave him to break ground first. He sat still about a minute longer, and then clasping his hands together, with his Barcelona most pathetically sticking out between his fingers--he turned round, and looked at me with his great prominent goggle eyes. "Do I look as if I had been weeping, Benjamin--are my eyes bloodshot?" "They are certainly inflamed," said I, rather shortly. "Ah," said he, in a small, dolorous whine--"I knew it, Benjie--my heart is as soft this morning as a waxy potato. I was a great big fool last evening, Brail, and I don't think I am much wiser to-day, and all for a little, hook-nosed, dumpy woman. Do you know, I took the affair so deeply to heart, that I went home, and drank three bottles of claret _solus_, and afterwards topped off with hot brandy grog?"--(a very sufficing reason for your bloodshot eyes, thought I),--"and I believe I will go hang myself." "Poo, poo--hang cats and blind puppies, man," said I. "Come, come, now, Listado--you are not here to renew our quarrel, or rather _your_ quarrel, for I declare I have none with you--but why bring Miss Hudson on the carpet again? She did not deceive you, Listado--you know she never gave you any encouragement." "_She did not deceive me_, certainly; but did she not persave that I admired her; _so why did she allow me to deceive myself_?" I laughed outright--"Come, man, you are expecting too much at the hands of a young lady, who of course is accustomed to admiration. She was not aware you entertained any very tender regard for her; why, it was only three days ago at breakfast that you broke off in the middle of a beautiful compliment to her eyebrow--the worst feature in her face, by the way--to ask for a plate of broiled ham and eggs. You may rest assured, my dear Listado, that Miss Hudson never dreamed you were in love with her--and, in sober earnest, are you so, now?--come, out with it." He looked at me, with the strangest twinkle of his eye, then slewing his head from side to side, he twitched up one corner of his mouth, as he said--"Will you, or will you not, take Sophie Duquesné, Brail?--Lord, man, she is the finer woman of the two, and surely you have known neither of the girls long enough to have any peculiar preference." The idea of my _swopping_ my betrothed wife, as one would do a horse, merely, forsooth, to oblige him, was exceedingly entertaining. "Really, Listado, you are a most curious animal--I have told you No--and I reiterate, No."