mptuous
thoughts.

CHAPTER XL

My mistress is surprised at my learning--communicates her performances
to me--I impart some of mine to her--am mortified at her faint
praise--Narcissa approves of my conduct--I gain an involuntary
conquest over the cookwench and dairymaid--their mutual resentment and
insinuations--the jealousy of their lovers

During this season of love and tranquillity, my muse, which had lain
dormant so long, awoke, and produced several small performances on
the subject of my flame. But as it concerned me nearly to remain
undiscovered in my character and sentiments, I was under a necessity of
mortifying my desire of praise, by confining my works to my own perusal
and applause. In the meantime I strove to insinuate myself into the
good opinion of both ladies; and succeeded so well, by my diligence
and dutiful behaviour, that in a little time I was at least a favourite
servant; and frequently enjoyed the satisfaction of hearing myself
mentioned in French and Italian, with some degree of warmth and surprise
by the dear object of all my wishes, as a person who had so much of the
gentleman in my appearance and discourse, that she could not for her
soul treat me like a common lacquey. My prudence and modesty were not
long proof against these bewitching compliments. One day, while I waited
at dinner, the conversation turned upon a knotty passage of Tasso's
Gierusalem, which, it seems, had puzzled them both: after a great many
unsatisfactory conjectures, my mistress, taking the book out of her
pocket, turned up the place in question, and read the sentence over
and over without success; at length, despairing of finding the author's
meaning, she turned to me, saying, "Come hither, Bruno; let us see what
fortune will do for us: I will interpret to thee what goes before, and
what follows this obscure paragraph, the particular words of which I
will also explain, that thou mayst, by comparing one with another, guess
the sense of that which perplexes us." I was too vain to let slip this
opportunity of displaying my talents; therefore, without hesitation,
read and explained the whole of that which had disconcerted them, to
the utter astonishment of both. Narcissa's face and lovely neck were
overspread with blushes, from which I drew a favourable opinion,
while her aunt, after having stared at me a good while with a look of
amazement, exclaimed, "In the name of heaven who art thou?" I told her
I had picked