Martha Gamble (and no other) on a day to be named by mutual consent at
a later date--but not very much later, he was privately resolved.

"Now," said he, "we'll each sign one. You sha'n't get the better of
me, my boy."

Each signed in the presence of two waiters, neither of whom knew the
nature of the instruments.

"Troy weight," said the General magnanimously. "She is a jewel, you
know."

"Certainly. It's stipulated in the contract--twenty-four carat gold.
You said pure, you remember. You may have noticed that I take her at
the prevailing market price of gold. It is now four cents a carat.
Twenty-four carats in a pennyweight. That makes ninety-six cents per
pennyweight. Twenty pennyweight in an ounce, and there we have
nineteen dollars and twenty cents per ounce. We'll--we'll weigh her in
by ounces."

"That's reasonable. The price of gold isn't likely to fluctuate much."

"It must be distinctly understood that you keep her well-fed from this
day on, General. I won't have her fluctuating. She hasn't any silly
notions about reducing, has she?"

"My dear fellow, she poses as a Venus," cried the General. "Good! And
here's another point: pardon me for suggesting it, but you understand
that she's to weigh in--er--that is to say, her clothing is to be
weighed in with her."