a footman, who plainly told him he had orders to say to
him in particular, that his lordship was not at home; yet the very next
day, perceiving that nobleman and me walking together in the park, he
joins us with an air of alacrity, as if no such thing had happened,
and even behaved to Lord R-- with the most fawning complaisance.
His deportment was equally absurd and impertinent to the rest of his
friends, who forsook us gradually, being tired of maintaining any
friendly communication with such a disagreeable composition of ignorance
and arrogance. For my own part, I look upon him as utterly incorrigible;
and, as fate has subjected me to his power, endeavour to make the
bitter draught go down, by detaching myself as much as possible from the
supposition that there is any such existence upon earth. Indeed, if I
had not fatal experience to the contrary, I should be apt to believe
that such a character is not to be found among the sons of men; because
his conduct is altogether unaccountable by the known rules and maxims of
life, and falls entirely under the poet's observation, when he says,

"'Tis true, no meaning puzzles more than wit."

Her ladyship having thus concluded her story, to the entertainment
of the company, and the admiration of Peregrine, who expressed his
astonishment at the variety of adventures she had undergone, which
was such as he thought sufficient to destroy the most hardy and robust
constitution, and therefore infinitely more than enough to overwhelm one
of her delicate frame; one of the gentlemen present roundly taxed her
with want of candour, in suppressing some circumstances of her life,
which he thought essential in the consideration of her character.

She reddened at this peremptory charge, which had an evident effect upon
the countenances of the whole audience, when the accuser proceeded
to explain his imputation, by observing, that, in the course of her
narration, she had omitted to mention a thousand acts of uncommon
charity, of which he himself knew her to be guilty; and that she had
concealed a great many advantageous proposals of marriage, which she
might have accepted before she was engaged.

The company were agreeably undeceived by this explanation; which her
ladyship acknowledged in very polite terms, as a compliment equally
genteel and unexpected. And our hero, after having testified the sense
he had of her complaisance and condescension, in regaling him with a
mark of her confidenc