his opinion of his mother's and grandfather's friend.
Mr. Washington, though then but just of age, looked and felt much older.
He always exhibited an extraordinary simplicity and gravity; he had
managed his mother's and his family's affairs from a very early age, and
was trusted by all his friends and the gentry of his county more than
persons twice his senior.

Mrs. Mountain, Madam Esmond's friend and companion, who dearly loved the
two boys and her patroness, in spite of many quarrels with the latter,
and daily threats of parting, was a most amusing, droll letter-writer,
and used to write to the two boys on their travels. Now, Mrs. Mountain
was of a jealous turn likewise; especially she had a great turn for
match-making, and fancied that everybody had a design to marry everybody
else. There scarce came an unmarried man to Castlewood but Mountain
imagined the gentleman had an eye towards the mistress of the mansion.
She was positive that odious Mr. Ward intended to make love to
the widow, and pretty sure the latter liked him. She knew that Mr.
Washington wanted to be married, was certain that such a shrewd young
gentleman would look out for a rich wife, and, as for the differences of
ages, what matter that the Major (major was his rank in the militia)
was fifteen years younger than Madam Esmond? They were used to such
marriages in the family; my lady her mother was how many years older
than the Colonel when she married him?--When she married him and was so
jealous that she never would let the poor Colonel out of her sight.
The poor Colonel! after his wife, he had been henpecked by his little
daughter. And she would take after her mother, and marry again, be
sure of that. Madam was a little chit of a woman, not five feet in her
highest headdress and shoes, and Mr. Washington a great tall man of
six feet two. Great tall men always married little chits of women:
therefore, Mr. W. must be looking after the widow. What could be more
clear than the deduction?

She communicated these sage opinions to her boy, as she called George,
who begged her, for Heaven's sake, to hold her tongue. This she said she
could do, but she could not keep her eyes always shut; and she narrated
a hundred circumstances which had occurred in the young gentleman's
absence, and which tended, as she thought, to confirm her notions. Had
Mountain imparted these pretty suspicions to his brother? George asked
sternly. No. George was her boy; Harry was hi