nd held forth with
such a flow of eloquence, as would have entitled her to a considerable
share of reputation, even among the nymphs of Billingsgate; for this
young lady, over and above a natural genius for altercation, had her
talents cultivated among the venerable society of weeders, podders, and
hoppers, with whom she had associated from her tender years. No wonder,
then, that she soon obtained a complete victory over Pipes, who, as the
reader may have observed, was very little addicted to the exercise of
speech. Indeed, he was utterly disconcerted by her volubility of tongue;
and, being altogether unfurnished with answers to the distinct periods
of her discourse, very wisely chose to save himself the expense of
breath and argument, by giving her a full swing of cable, so that she
might bring herself up; while he rode onwards, in silent composure,
without taking any more notice of his fair fellow-traveller, than if she
had been his master's cloak-bag.

In spite of all the despatch he could make, it was late before he
arrived at the garrison, where he delivered the letter and the lady to
the lieutenant, who no sooner understood the intention of his friend,
than he ordered all the tubs in the house to be carried into the hall,
and filled with water. Tom having provided himself with swabs and
brushes, divested the fair stranger of her variegated drapery, which
was immediately committed to the flames, and performed upon her soft and
sleek person the ceremony of scrubbing, as it is practised on board of
the king's ships of war. Yet the nymph herself did not submit to this
purification without repining. She cursed the director, who was upon the
spot, with many abusive allusions to his wooden leg; and as for Pipes
the operator, she employed her talons so effectually upon his face, that
the blood ran over his nose in sundry streams; and next morning, when
those rivulets were dry, his countenance resembled the rough bark of a
plum-tree, plastered with gum. Nevertheless, he did his duty with great
perseverance, cut off her hair close to the scalp, handled his brushes
with dexterity, applied his swabs of different magnitude and texture, as
the case required; and, lastly, rinsed the whole body with a dozen pails
of cold water, discharged upon her head.

These ablutions being executed, he dried her with towels, accommodated
her with a clean shift, and, acting the part of a valet-de-chambre,
clothed her from head to foot, in clea