better of it.

But now a few words upon poor Belton's case. I own I was at first a
little startled at the disloyalty of his Thomasine. Her hypocrisy to be
for so many years undetected!--I have very lately had some intimations
given me of her vileness; and had intended to mention them to thee when I
saw thee. To say the truth, I always suspected her eye: the eye, thou
knowest, is the casement at which the heart generally looks out. Many
a woman, who will not show herself at the door, has tipt the sly, the
intelligible wink from the windows.

But Tom. had no management at all. A very careless fellow. Would never
look into his own affairs. The estate his uncle left him was his ruin:
wife, or mistress, whoever was, must have had his fortune to sport with.

I have often hinted his weakness of this sort to him; and the danger he
was in of becoming the property of designing people. But he hated to
take pains. He would ever run away from his accounts; as now, poor
fellow! he would be glad to do from himself. Had he not had a woman to
fleece him, his coachman or valet, would have been his prime-minister,
and done it as effectually.

But yet, for many years, I thought she was true to his bed. At least I
thought the boys were his own. For though they are muscular, and
big-boned, yet I supposed the healthy mother might have furnished them
with legs and shoulders: for she is not of a delicate frame; and then
Tom., some years ago, looked up, and spoke more like a man, than he has
done of late; squeaking inwardly, poor fellow! for some time past, from
contracted quail-pipes, and wheezing from lungs half spit away.

He complains, thou sayest, that we all run away from him. Why, after
all, Belford, it is no pleasant thing to see a poor fellow one loves,
dying by inches, yet unable to do him good. There are friendships which
are only bottle-deep: I should be loth to have it thought that mine for
any of my vassals is such a one. Yet, with gay hearts, which become
intimate because they were gay, the reason for their first intimacy
ceasing, the friendship will fade: but may not this sort of friendship be
more properly distinguished by the word companionship?

But mine, as I said, is deeper than this: I would still be as ready as
ever I was in my life, to the utmost of my power, to do him service.

As once instance of this my readiness to extricate him from all his
difficulties as to Thomasine, dost thou care to propose