was junior partner in the house of Dombey & Son, dry goods merchants,
in this city, his father, Jacob Dombey, sen., being considered one of
the wealthiest importers in Canada. In his youth Jacob Dombey, jun.,
had been pampered and petted beyond measure, his every whim being
carried out even at great expense; arrived at the age of twenty-one
he became enamored of a young lady whose father kept a small
toy-shop on Notre Dame street, and nothing would content him but a
marriage with the "Goddess," as his innamorata was called. At first
he was quite proud of his pretty wife, and was to be seen daily in
Sherbrooke street, driving her behind a splendid span of spirited
bay horses, but after a few months he grew tired of this routine,
and with his bosom friend, Richard Fairfax, might be seen, nightly
at the theatres and other places of amusement, while his poor wife
sat in patient loneliness awaiting his return.

Mrs. Trotter was the daughter of a Civic Official of high standing,
and had married at a very early age a retired English Officer, who,
being well advanced in years, left her at the age of twenty-four a
widow with four children. Trotter was possessed of little besides
his pension, which died with him; so Mrs. T. was obliged to eke out
a miserable subsistence on the receipts from a little city property
left her by her father. Soon after her husband's demise Mrs. Trotter
removed to Lachine (a small village on the river side about nine
miles above Montreal), in order to live more economically, and soon
became acquainted with Mr. and Mrs. Dombey, who had taken up their
abode there for the summer season. Mrs. Dombey took quite a fancy to
the fascinating widow, and they soon became inseparable.

Every evening on the promenade might be seen Mrs. Trotter leaning
on the arm of Mr. Dombey, his wife following accompanied by his