conceal their lustre [No vanity in save me the trouble of bringing saying that, Jack]; my chin my cook, if we do. And I suppose wrapped up for the tooth-ach; you have servants who know how and my slouched laced hat, giving to dress a couple of dishes. My me, altogether, the appearance wife must eat plain food, and I of an antiquated beau. don't love kickshaws.

My wife, I resolved beforehand, We have a single lady, who will should have a complication of be gone in two or three days. She disorders. has one of the best apartments:

The maid came to the door. I that will then be at liberty. asked for her mistress. She You have one or two good ones shewed me into one of the par- mean time, I presume, madam, lours; and I sat down with a just to receive my wife; for we gouty Oh! have lost time these damned excuse me,

Enter Goody Moore. Your servant, madam

physicians

madam, am not used to curse; but it is But owing to the love I have for my you must excuse me; I cannot well wife - they have kept her in hand stand I find by the bill at the till they are ashamed to take more door, that you have lodgings to let fees, and now advise her to the air. [mumbling my words as if, like my I wish we had sent her hither at man Will, I had lost some of my first. But we must now make the fore-teeth]: be pleased to inform best of it. me what they are; for I like your Excuse me, madam [for she situation and I will tell you my looked hard at me] that I am family- I have a wife, a good old muffled up in this warm weather. older than myself, by I am but too sensible that I have the way, a pretty deal. She is in left my chamber sooner than I a bad state of health, and is ad- ought, and perhaps shall have a vised into the Hampstead air. return of my gout for it. I came She will have two maid servants out thus muffled up with a dreadand a footman. The coach or ful pain in my jaws; an ague in chariot (I shall not have them up them, I believe. But my poor both together) we can put up any dear will not be satisfied with any where, and the coachman will be body's care but mine. And, as I with his horses. told you, we have lost time.

woman

When, sir, shall you want to come in?

I will take them from this very day; and, if convenient, will bring my wife in the afternoon.

Perhaps, sir, you would board, as well as lodge?

That as you please. It will

Clarissa. III.

You shall see what accommodations I have, if you please, sir. But I doubt you are too lame to walk up stairs.

I can make shift to hobble up now I have rested a little. I'll just look upon the apartment my wife is to have. Any thing may do for 4

I liked the lodging well; and the more as she said the third room was still handsomer.

I

but I

the servants: and as you seem to who was coming up; and, seeing be a good sort of gentlewoman, such an old clumsy fellow, great I shan't stand for a price, and will coated in weather so warm, pay well besides for the trouble I slouched and muffled up, she shall give. withdrew, shutting the door She led the way; and I help- without any emotion. But it was ing myself by the banisters, made not so with me; for thou canst shift to get up with less fatigue not imagine how my heart danced than I expected from ankles so to my mouth, at the very glimpse weak. But oh! Jack, what was of her; so that I was afraid the Sixtus the Vth's artful depression thump, thump, thumping villain, of his natural powers to mine, which had so lately thumped as when, as the half dead Montalto, much to no purpose, would have choked me. he gaped for the pretendedly unsought Pontificate, and the moment he was chosen leaped upon the prancing beast, which it was thought by the amazed conclave must sit down, madam [and chose he was not able to mount without the darkest part of the room]; help of chairs and men? Never Won't you take a seat yourself? was there a more joyous heart and No price shall part us lighter heels than mine, joined will leave the terms to you and together; yet both denied their my wife, if you please. And also functions; the one fluttering in whether for board or not. Only secret, ready to burst its bar for please to take this for earnest, relief-ful expression, the others putting a guinea into her hand obliged to an hobbling motion; and one thing I will say; my poor when, unrestrained, they would, wife loves money; but is not an ill-natured woman. in their master's imagination, She was a have mounted him to the lunar great fortune to me: but, as the world without the help of a real estate goes away at her ladder. death, I would fain preserve her for that reason, as well as for the love I bear her as an honest man. But if she makes too close a bargain with you, tell me; and unknown to her, I will make it up. I saw, I saw, she was! for as I This is my constant way: she hobbled up, crying out upon my loves to have her pen'-worths; weak ankles, in the hoarse mum- and I would not have her vexed bling voice I had assumed, I be- or made uneasy on any account. held a little piece of her as she She said, I was a very conjust cast an eye (with the door a- siderate gentleman; and, upon jar, as they call it) to observe the condition I had mentioned,

There were three rooms on a floor: two of them handsome; and the third, she said, still handsomer; but the lady was in it.

I caught hold of her arm However, stay, stay, madam: It mayn't be proper, if the lady loves to be private. Don't let me intrude upon the lady

the lady is beautiful. Now you
must know, that though I choose
to converse with the elderly, yet
I love to see a beautiful young
woman, just as I love to see fine
flowers in a garden. There's no
without her notice? For in this
casting an eye upon her, is there?
dress, and thus muffled up about
be seen any more than she,
my jaws, I should not care to
her love privacy as much as she

will.

let

No intrusion, sir, I dare say the lady is good-humoured. She will be so kind as to step down into the parlour, I dare say. As she stays so little a while, I am I will go ask if I may shew a sure she will not wish to stand in gentleman the apartment, sir; and, as you are a married gentleshe'll man, and not over young, perhaps make the less scruple.

my way.

No, madam, that's true, if she be good-humoured, as you say has she been with you long,

madam?

She came but yesterday, sir. I believe I just now saw the glimpse of her. She seems to be an elderly lady.

No, sir! you're mistaken. She's a young lady; and one of the handsomest I ever saw.

folks best perhaps. But it may be Then, like me, she loves elderly she has suffered by young ones!

I fancy she has, sir, or is afraid she shall. She desired to be very private; and if by description enquired after, to be denied.

Thou art true woman, Goody
Moore, thought I.
Good lack

-

good lack? Cot so, I beg her pardon! Not What may be her story then, I but that I should have liked her pray?

the better, were she to stay longer, She is pretty reserved in her if she had been elderly. I have a story; but, to tell you my strange taste, madam, you'll say; thoughts, I believe love is in the but I really, for my wife's sake, case: she is always in tears, and love every elderly woman. In- does not much care for company. deed I ever thought age was to Nay, madam, it becomes not be reverenced, which made me me to dive into ladies' secrets; I (taking the fortune into the scale want not to pry into other people's

quainted with him.

affairs. But, pray, how does she there was such a lawyer in the employ herself? Yet she came world; and to have been acbut yesterday; so you can't tell. Writing continually, sir. These women, Jack, when you ask them questions by way of information, don't care to be ignorant of any thing.

Come, come, Mrs. Moore, I think your name is, it may not be too late - when you and I are better acquainted, I may help you, perhaps. But mention

Nay, excuse me, madam, I am nothing of this to the lady; for, very far from being an inquisitive as I said, I hate to appear ofman. But if her case be difficult, ficious. and not merely love, as she is a friend of yours, I would give her Goody Moore answered the spemy advice.

This prohibition I knew, if

cimen she had given of her woThen you are a lawyer, sir manhood, would make her take Why, indeed, madam, I was the first opportunity to tell, were some time at the bar; but I have it to be necessary to my purpose long left practice; yet am much that she should.

consulted by my friends in difficult I appeared, upon the whole, so points. In a pauper case I fre- indifferent about seeing the room, quently give money; but never or the lady, that the good woman take any from the richest. was the more eager I should see

To be brief she went in; and after a little while came out again. The lady, sir, is retired to her closet. So you may go in and look at the room.

You are a very good gentleman, both. And the rather, as I, to then, sir. stimulate her, declared, that there Ay, madam, we cannot live was more required in my eye to always here; and we ought to do merit the character of a handsome what good we can But I hate woman, than most people thought to appear officious. If the lady necessary; and that I had never stay any time, and think fit, seen six truly lovely women in my upon better acquaintance, to let life. me into her case, it may be a happy day for her, if I find it a just one; for you must know, that when I was at the bar, I never was such a sad fellow as to undertake, for the sake of a paltry fee, to make white black, and black white; for what would Í hobbled in, and stumped that have been, but to endeavour about, and liked it very much; to establish iniquity by quirks, and was sure my wife would. I while I robbed the innocent? begged excuse for sitting down, You are an excellent gentleman, and asked, Who was the minister sir: I wish [and then she sighed] of the place? If he were a good I had had the happiness to know preacher? Who preached at the

Then how my heart began again to play its pug's tricks!

Pretty well, pretty well! It is after an Italian master. - I would not for the world turn the lady out of her apartment. We can make shift with the other two, repeated I, louder still: but yet mumblingly hoarse; for I had as great a regard to uniformity in accent, as to my words.

More's the pity, madam. But I have a great veneration for the O Belford! to be so near my clergy in general. It is more a angel, think what a painful consatire upon human nature, than straint I was under.

upon the cloth, if we suppose I was resolved to fetch her out, those who have the best opportu- if possible: and pretending to be nities to be good, less perfect going You can't agree as to than other people. For my part, any time, Mrs. Moore, when we I don't love professional any more can have this third room, can than national reflections. But you? Not that whispered I, I keep the lady in her closet. My loud enough to be heard in the gout makes me rude. next room; not that] I would inThen up from my seat stumped commode the lady: but I would I - What do you call these tell my wife when abouts window-curtains, madam? Stuff-damask, sir.

- and women, you know, Mrs. Moore, love to have every thing before

truly. them of this nature.

It is neat and clean, sir: that's all we pretend to.

It looks mighty well, I like it better than silk. It is Mrs. Moore, said my charmer, warmer to be sure, and much [and never did her voice sound fitter for lodging in the country; so harmonious to me: O how my especially for people in years. heart bounded again! It even The bed is in a pretty taste. talked to me, in a manner; for I thought I heard, as well as felt, its unruly flutters; and every vein Ay, mighty well very well about me seemed a pulse; Mrs. a silk camblet, I think - very Moore] you may acquaint the well, truly! I am sure my wife gentleman, that I shall stay here will like it. But we would not turn only for two or three days at the lady out of her lodgings for the most, till I receive an answer to world. The other two apartments a letter I have written into the will do for us at the present. country; and rather than be your Then stumping towards the hinderance, I will take up with closet, over the door of which any apartment a pair of stairs hung a picture - What picture is higher. that

Oh! I see: a St. Cecilia!

Not for the world! Not for