coffee. After which the Captain sang songs with Miss
Brough; Tidd looked at her and said nothing; I looked at prints, and Mrs.
Brough sat knitting stockings for the poor. The Captain was sneering
openly at Miss Brough and her affected ways and talk; but in spite of his
bullying contemptuous way I thought she seemed to have a great regard for
him, and to bear his scorn very meekly.

At twelve Captain Fizgig went off to his barracks at Knightsbridge, and
Tidd and I to our rooms. Next day being Sunday, a great bell woke us at
eight, and at nine we all assembled in the breakfast-room, where Mr.
Brough read prayers, a chapter, and made an exhortation afterwards, to us
and all the members of the household; except the French cook, Monsieur
Nontong-paw, whom I could see, from my chair, walking about in the
shrubberies in his white night-cap, smoking a cigar.

Every morning on week-days, punctually at eight, Mr. Brough went through
the same ceremony, and had his family to prayers; but though this man was
a hypocrite, as I found afterwards, I'm not going to laugh at the family
prayers, or say he was a hypocrite _because_ he had them. There are many
bad and good men who don't go through the ceremony at all; but I am sure
the good men would be the better for it, and am not called upon to settle
the question with respect to the bad ones; and therefore I have passed
over a great deal of the religious part of Mr. Brough's behaviour:
suffice it, that religion was always on his lips; that he went to church
thrice every Sunday, when he had not a party; and if he did not talk
religion with us when we were alone, had a great deal to say upon the
subject upon occasions, as I found one day when we had a Quaker and
Dissenter party to dine, and when his talk was as grave as that of any
minister present. Tidd was not there that day,--for nothing could make
him forsake his Byron riband or refrain from wearing his collars turned
down; so Tidd was sent with the buggy to Astley's. "And hark ye,
Titmarsh my boy," said he, "leave your diamond pin upstairs: our friends
to-day don't like such gewgaws; and though for my part I am no enemy to
harmless ornaments, yet I would not shock the feelings of those who have
sterner opinions. You will see that my wife and Miss Brough consult my
wishes in this respect." And so they did,--for they both came down to
dinner in black gowns and tippets; whereas Miss B. had commonly her dress
half off her shoulde