e went to
her brother's, Mr. Henry Steven's, in Doctors' Commons, where we
resided all the time we remained in town. I had before apprized Mr
Cranstoun of our intended journey; and he waited upon me the next
morning after our arrival at my uncle's. Hither he came every day to
visit me, whilst we stayed in London. Once he brought his brother,
the Lord Cranstoun, with him, who was then just married. One of Mr.
Cranstoun's visits happening a little before dinner, my mother asked
her brother, Mr. Henry Stevens, to invite him to dinner; but this
favour was refused her: On which, coming into the dining-room, whore
she found me and Mr. Cranstoun, she took him by the hand, and burst
into tears, saying, "My dear Mr. Cranstoun, I am sorry you should be
so affronted by any of my family, but I dare not ask you to stay to
dinner. However, continued she, come to me as often as you can in my
own apartment; in a morning I am always alone." To this Mr. Cranstoun
made answer, "My dear mamma, don't be uneasy--I don't come for the
sake of them, but of you and your daughter. And let him put on never
so terrible a face, he shall not keep me from you." At this time Mrs.
Focock was in town, and had a house in St. James's Square, to which I
used to go most days. Hither Mr. Cranstoun perpetually came, when he
understood that I was here; and that with my father's, who arrived in
town after we had reached it, and mother's consent. Mrs. Pocock often
asked my father, whilst in London, to make one of the party. But he
answered her, "You keep such quality hours, as neither agree with my
health, nor suit my business; however, you will have two parts of me,
my wife and my daughter." "Yes," replied Mrs. Pocock, "and not only
these two, but likewise another bit of you, which will be coming
soon." At this he smiled, and said, "What, Cranstoun! a little bit,
indeed, I think! They are very well matched--I was surprised not to
find him here--I thought they could not have been so long asunder." My
father went away and left his family there. The next day my mother and
I were invited to dine at Mrs. Pocock's, in order to meet the present
Lord Crauford,[24] then Lord Garnock, and Mr. Cranstoun. The latter
attended Mrs. Pocock in a coach she had hired to fetch me and my
mother into her house. My father met us in the Strand, and stopped the
coach, crying out, "For God's sake, Mrs. Pocock, what do you with this
rubbish every day?" "Rubbish, do you call them," replied