I’m sorry I made it——’twas as inconsiderate a promise as ever entered a
man’s head——A chapter upon whiskers! alas! the world will not bear
it—’tis a delicate world——but I knew not of what mettle it was made—nor
had I ever seen the under-written fragment; otherwise, as surely as
noses are noses, and whiskers are whiskers still (let the world say
what it will to the contrary); so surely would I have steered clear of
this dangerous chapter.