evous thing to an honest man to be suspected.

Then, in my going or return, I can call upon Mrs. Greme. She and my
beloved had a great deal of talk together. If I knew what it was about;
and that either, upon their first acquaintance, was for benefiting
herself by the other; I might contrive to serve them both, without
hurting myself: for these are the most prudent ways of doing
friendships, and what are not followed by regrets, though the served
should prove ingrateful. Then Mrs. Greme corresponds by pen-and-ink with
her farmer-sister where we are: something may possibly arise that way,
either of a convenient nature, which I may pursue; or of an inconvenient
nature, which I may avoid.

Always be careful of back doors, is a maxim with me in all my exploits.
Whoever knows me, knows that I am no proud man. I can talk as familiarly
to servants as to principals, when I have a mind to make it worth their
while to oblige me in any thing. Then servants are but as the common
soldiers in an army, they do all the mischief frequently without malice,
and merely, good souls! for mischief-sake.

I am most apprehensive about Miss Howe. She has a confounded deal of
wit, and wants only a subject, to shew as much roguery: and should I
be outwitted with all my sententious boasting of conceit of my own
nostrum-mongership--[I love to plague thee, who art a pretender to
accuracy, and a surface-skimmer in learning, with out-of-the-way words
and phrases] I should certainly hang, drown, or shoot myself.

Poor Hickman! I pity him for the prospect he has with such a virago! But
the fellow's a fool, God wot! And now I think of it, it is absolutely
necessary for complete happiness in the married state, that one should
be a fool [an argument I once held with this very Miss Howe.] But then
the fool should know the other's superiority; otherwise the obstinate
one will disappoint the wise one.

But my agent Joseph has helped me to secure this quarter, as I have
hinted to thee more than once.

LETTER XXVI

MR. LOVELACE, TO JOHN BELFORD, ESQ. [IN CONTINUATION.]

But is it not a confounded thing that I cannot fasten an obligation upon
this proud beauty? I have two motives in endeavouring to prevail upon
her to accept of money and raiment from me: one; the real pleasure I
should have in the accommodating of the haughty maid; and to think there
was something near her, and upon her, that I could call mine: the other,
in order to abate her se