ir, would give me more pride than that of all the rest of the world put
together.

Well, child, said she, proud hearts don't come down all at once; though
my brother, here, has this day set mine a good many pegs lower than I
ever knew it: But I will say, I wish you joy with my brother; and so
kissed me.

My dear lady, said I, you for ever oblige me!--I shall now believe
myself quite happy. This was all I wanted to make me so!--And I hope I
shall always, through my life, shew your ladyship, that I have the most
grateful and respectful sense of your goodness.

But, child, said she, I shall not give you my company when you make your
appearance. Let your own merit make all your Bedfordshire neighbours
your friends, as it has done here, by your Lincolnshire ones; and you'll
have no need of my countenance, nor any body's else.

Now, said her nephew, 'tis my turn: I wish you joy with all my soul,
madam; and, by what I have seen, and by what I have heard, 'fore Gad, I
think you have met with no more than you deserve; and so all the company
says, where we have been: And pray forgive all my nonsense to you.

Sir, said I, I shall always, I hope, respect as I ought, so near a
relation of my good Lord and Lady Davers; and I thank you for your kind
compliment.

Gad, Beck, said he, I believe you've some forgiveness too to ask; for we
were all to blame, to make madam, here, fly the pit, as she did. Little
did we think we made her quit her own house.

Thou always, said my lady, sayest too much, or too little.

Mrs. Worden said, I have been treated with so much goodness and
condescension since you went, that I have been beforehand, sir, in
asking pardon myself.

So my lady sat down with me half an hour, and told me, that her brother
had carried her a fine airing, and had quite charmed her with his kind
treatment of her; and had much confirmed her in the good opinion she had
begun to entertain of my discreet and obliging behaviour: But, continued
she, when he would make me visit, without intending to stay, my old
neighbours, (for, said she, Lady Jones being nearest, we visited her
first; and she scraped all the rest of the company together,) they were
all so full of your praises, that I was quite borne down; and, truly, it
was Saul among the prophets!

You may believe how much I was delighted with this; and I spared not my
due acknowledgments.

When her ladyship took leave, to go to bed, she said, Goodnight to you,
heartily,