, "Madam, you have
dropped your under-petticoat in the next room."

Mrs. Hornbeck, who inherited from nature a most admirable presence of
mind, looked earnestly at the object in question, and, with incredible
serenity of countenance, affirmed that the petticoat must belong to the
house, for she had none such in her possession. Peregrine, who walked
behind her, hearing this asseveration, immediately interposed, and
pulling Hornbeck by the sleeve into his chamber, "Gadszooks!" said he,
"what business had you with that petticoat? Can't you let a young fellow
enjoy a little amour with an innkeeper's daughter, without exposing his
infirmities to your wife? Pshaw! that's so malicious, because you have
quitted these adventures yourself, to spoil the sport of other people."

The poor husband was so confounded at the effrontery of his wife, and
this cavalier declaration of the young man, that his faith began to
waver; he distrusted his own conscious diffidence of temper, which, that
he might not expose, he expressed no doubts of Peregrine's veracity;
but, asking pardon for the mistake he had committed, retired. He was not
yet satisfied with the behaviour of his ingenious helpmate, but on the
contrary determined to inquire more minutely into the circumstances of
this adventure, which turned out so little to his satisfaction, that he
ordered his servant to get everything ready for his departure by break
of day; and when our adventurer rose next morning, he found that his
fellow-travellers were gone above three hours, though they had agreed
to stay all the forenoon, with a view of seeing the prince of Conde's
palace, and to proceed all together for Paris in the afternoon.

Peregrine was a little chagrined, when he understood that he was so
suddenly deprived of this untasted morsel; and Jolter could not conceive
the meaning of their abrupt and uncivil disappearance, which, after many
profound conjectures, he accounted for, by supposing that Hornbeck
was some sharper who had run away with an heiress, whom he found it
necessary to conceal from the inquiry of her friends. The pupil, who
was well assured of the true motive, allowed his governor to enjoy the
triumph of his own penetration, and consoled himself with the hope of
seeing his dulcinea again at some of the public places in Paris, which
he proposed to frequent. Thus comforted, he visited the magnificent
stables and palace of Chantilly, and immediately after dinner set out
for