“’Matters proceeded in this way until Mr. Primrose and his friend, Mr. Sparks, came to the house.  They professed to be Englishmen of wealth and station, educated at Oxford, and acquainted with enough of the nobility to enable them to mix with our best society.  According to Mr. Sparks, his friend Mr. Primrose, to whom he paid great deference, had riches enough to purchase a kingdom or two.  Mr. Primrose had a servant in livery, and arms painted on his carriage door, and the fleetest of horses.  My mother was much taken with him, and Mrs. Marmaduke declared that a more perfect gentleman had never graced her drawing rooms.  He took them both to operas, and balls, and sleigh rides.  And he paid them such court as completely won their confidence.  In truth, they were both so enamored of him, that they were singing his praises from morning till night.  And when he had sufficiently won them over to him, he commenced paying his addresses to me, and so earnestly did he press his suit, that my mother declared it would not do to protract so excellent a chance.  And notwithstanding my hand had been pledged to Milando, which was the name of the young painter, my mother insisted, and our nuptials were celebrated, though much against my will.  It seems a report, which my mother did not see fit to contradict, had got out that I was the only heir to a large estate, which was the prize Mr. Primrose sought to secure.  In two short months the truth was revealed.  I had no dowry, which so disappointed him, that he began to cast reflections on my poverty, adding that he had been deceived by the false representations of my artful mother.  This gave me so much pain, that I sought relief for my distress in frequenter interviews with Milando, who, seeing himself ill treated for his poverty, resolved to quit a profession in which neglect and distrust too often repay its votaries, and take to one that would at least afford him money; which, according to the fashion of the day, was the only passport into what was called good society.

“’Mr. Sparks quarreled with Mr. Primrose, who was in arrears for board with Mrs. Marmaduke, and let it out that he was only a knight of the needle, who had formerly resided in Bermuda, which he left for a cause it is not worth while to mention here, though he was skillful enough at making breeches, and getting up odd liveries for ambitious families.  He was missing one morning, and as his friend Sparks had taken the precaution to precede him, there were so many inquiries for him at Mrs. Marmaduke’s, that it soon became clear he had left to escape the importunities of his creditors.  In truth, he was declared an impostor, and the whole affair got into the newspapers, the editors of which set about ferreting out a few of his exploits, when it was found that the deception practiced upon me was only one among many, for he had gained a victory over the affections of several widows, and left no less than three wives to sorrow.  And so skillfully were his exploits performed, that each victim imagined him the most sincere and devoted of lovers.