"'That is a black shadow to be following the girl,' said Steerforth, standing still; 'What does it mean?'"  From The Works of Charles Dickens, Household Edition.

An illustration from The Case of Jennie Brice by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1915).  The caption reads: "He had a nightmare."

An illustration from The Mystery of June 13th by Melvin Linwood Severy (1905).  The caption reads: "Down on thy knees and speak the truth before I blast thee!"

"Look there!"  From The Mystery of the Sycamore by Carolyn Wells (1921).

After careful analysis of the photograph, I note the following:

1) The trollop's ankles cast the shadow of a wading bird, thus creating the overwhelming sensation of familiarity in the average seaside lothario.

2) The upper portion of the trollop's shadow appears to have a bun in the oven, creating, in the average seaside lothario, the overwhelming desire for family.

3) Neither the lustful dandy nor the translucent salt behind him have shadows of their own, therefore they cannot be true characters. I blame Photoshop.

4) Upon closer inspection, the cad sneaking up the stairs is Puss 'n Boots, not Jack Sparrow.

5) The trollop's right hand is not a hand at all. It is a pincer, leading me to suspect that she is either Crab Woman or Lobster Girl. If the former, she may be harboring a crab cake in the oven instead. If the latter, she has simply lost her mittens.

6) She and the approaching cat in the hat are merely going out for seafood and a movie. It's 1868 after all.