at young woman is, as the vulgar
say, my sweetheart."

"Your sweetheart!" I exclaimed, greatly relieved, and acknowledging
at once the probability of the statement. "Yet," I added
suspiciously,--"yet, if so, why should she expect Mr. Gower to write to
her?"

"You're quick of hearing, sir; but though--

"'All adoration, duty, and observance;
All humbleness and patience and impatience,'

the young woman won't marry a livery servant,--proud creature!--very
proud! and Mr. Gower, you see, knowing how it was, felt for me, and told
her, if I may take such liberty with the Swan, that she should--

"'Never lie by Johnson's side
With an unquiet soul,'

for that he would get me a place in the Stamps! The silly girl said she
would have it in black and white,--as if Mr. Gower would write to her!

"And now, sir," continued Mr. Peacock, with a simpler gravity, "you are
at liberty, of course, to say what you please to my lady; but I hope
you'll not try to take the bread out of my mouth because I wear a livery
and am fool enough to be in love with a waiting-woman,--I, sir, who
could have married ladies who have played the first parts in life--on
the metropolitan stage."

I had nothing to say to these representations, they seemed plausible;
and though at first I had suspected that the man had only resorted to
the buffoonery of his quotations in order to gain time for invention or
to divert my notice from any flaw in his narrative, yet at the close,
as the narrative seemed probable, so I was willing to believe the
buffoonery was merely characteristic. I contented myself, therefore,
with asking, "Where do you come from now?"

"From Mr. Trevanion, in the country, with letters to Lady Ellinor."

"Oh! and so the young woman knew you were coming to town?"

"Yes, sir; Mr. Trevanion told me, some days ago, the day I should have
to start."

"And what do you and the young woman propose doing to-morrow if there is
no change of plan?"

Here I certainly thought there was a slight, scarce perceptible,
alteration in Mr. Peacock's countenance; but he answered readily,
"To-morrow, a little assignation, if we can both get out,--

"`Woo me, now I am in a holiday humor,
And like enough to consent'

"Swan again, sir."

"Humph! so then Mr. Gower and Mr. Vivian are the same person?"

Peacock hesitated. "That's not my secret, sir; 'I am combined by a
sacred vow.' You are too much the gentleman to peep thro