inacy of the defendant,
he might have an opportunity to join issue at the next stage. This last
expression gave offence to the grave gentlewoman, who told him, if she
was a man, she would make him repent of such obscenity, and thanked
God, he had never been in such company before. At this insinuation the
captain thought himself under a necessity of espousing the lady's cause;
and accordingly threatened to cut off the lawyer's ears, if he should
give his tongue any such liberties for the future. The poor counsellor
begged pardon, and universal silence ensued.

CHAPTER LV

I resolve to ingratiate myself with the Mother, and am favoured by
accident--the Precise Lady finds her husband, and quit the Coach--the
Captain is disappointed of his dinner--we arrive at Bath--I accompany
Miss Snapper to the Long-room, where she is attacked by beau Nash,
and, turns the Laugh against him--I make love to her, and receive a
check--Squire her to an Assembly, where I am blessed with a Sight of
my dear Narcissa, which discomposes me so much, that Miss Snapper,
observing my disorder, is at pains to discover the Cause--is piqued at
the Occasion, and, in our way home, pays me a sarcastic Compliment--I
am met by Miss Williams, who is the maid and Confidante of Narcissa--she
acquaints me with her Lady's regard for me while under the disguise of
a Servant, and describes the Transports of Narcissa on seeing me at
the Assembly, in the Character of a Gentleman--I am surprised with an
Account of her Aunt's Marriage, and make an Appointment to meet Miss
Williams the next day

During this unsocial interval, my pride and interest maintained a severe
conflict on the subject of Miss Snapper, whom the one represented as
unworthy of notice, and the other proposed as the object of my whole
attention: the advantages and disadvantages of such a match were opposed
to one another by my imagination; and, at length, my judgment gave it so
much in favour of the first, that I resolved to prosecute my scheme with
all the address in my power. I thought I perceived some concern in her
countenance, occasioned by my silence, which she, no doubt, imputed to
my disgust at her mother's behaviour; and, as I believed the old woman
could not fail of ascribing my muteness to the same motive, I determined
to continue that sullen conduct towards her, and fall upon some other
method of manifesting my esteem for the daughter, nor was it difficult
for me to make her acqua