His accusers undertook that the letter should be answered—if it could be found; and eventually Peter was discharged, with an admonition to cease from pestering Mrs. Muggins, on pain of imprisonment.
A DUN AT SUPPER TIME.
Mr. John Dunn appeared upon a warrant to answer the complaint of Mrs. Amelia Groutage.
Mrs. Amelia Groutage is an elderly lady of some sixteen stone or thereabout, and short in proportion—or, more properly speaking, out of proportion; for it is a doubt whether her breadth is not nearly equal to her height. We are thus particular in her admeasurement, because it materially influenced the decision on her complaint.
She deposed, that upon her going to Mr. Dunn's house to demand payment of some money he owed her, he took her round the waist with one arm, whilst he gave her a violent blow on her shoulder with the other, and then turned her out of door.
The magistrate expressed some doubt whether so small a man as Mr. Dunn could encircle her waist with one arm; but she assured him it was the fact; and so Mr. Dunn was called upon for his defence.
Mr. Dunn had such a multitude of words at his command, and used them so lavishly, that we cannot pretend to give his defence verbatim; but we gathered, that he and Mrs. Groutage lived within seven or eight doors of each other, and that the account between them is a disputed balance. Nevertheless, they had lived upon good neighbourly terms with each other up to last Tuesday night. On that night, Mr. Dunn had a little supper party at his house, to which Mrs. Groutage was invited, and she came among the rest. After supper, Mrs. Groutage "got very glumpish;" and nobody could imagine what ailed her, till at last she was rude enough to ask Mr. Dunn when he meant to pay her what he owed her; and threatened that if he did not pay her that very moment, she would summon him to Court next morning. The company were, of course, quite shocked at this sort of conversation; and Mr. Dunn, determined not to have the harmony of the evening destroyed in this manner, went quietly behind the angry and ill-bred Mrs. Groutage, threw both his arms round her waist, fairly carried her out of the house, and set her down at her own door! This was the only violence he offered to her; and any injury she had received was entirely owing to her own kicking and plunging, and clinging to the door-posts as he carried her along.
This statement was confirmed by a host of witnesses, and Mrs. Groutage was nonsuited.