quite sure--she believed it might be the case, there was no saying; it
might be a mistake, like that of Mrs Trunnion's in the novel, and,
therefore, she said nothing to her husband about the matter. At last
Mr Easy opened his eyes, and when, upon interrogating his wife, he
found out the astounding truth, he opened his eyes still wider, and
then he snapped his fingers and danced, like a bear upon hot plates,
with delight, thereby proving that different causes may produce
similar effects in two instances at one and the same time. The bear
dances from pain, Mr Easy from pleasure; and again, when we are
indifferent, or do not care for anything, we snap our fingers at it,
and when we are overjoyed, and obtain what we most care for, we also
snap our fingers. Two months after Mr Easy snapped his fingers, Mrs
Easy felt no inclination to snap hers, either from indifference or
pleasure, The fact was, that Mrs Easy's time was come, to undergo what
Shakespeare pronounces the pleasing punishment that women bears but
Mrs Easy, like the rest of her sex, declared "that all men were
liars," and most particularly poets.

But while Mrs Easy was suffering, Mr Easy was in ecstasies. He
laughed at pain, as all philosophers do when it is suffered by other
people, and not by themselves.

In due course of time, Mrs Easy presented her husband with a fine boy,
whom we present to the public as our hero.


CHAPTER II

In which Mrs Easy, as usual, has her own way.