l, and as busy to the full,]
and neither such a name, nor such a house, can be found in that street,
nor a house to answer the description; then will not the keenest hunter
in England be at a fault?

But how wilt thou do, methinks thou askest, to hinder the lady from
resenting the fallacy, and mistrusting thee the more on that account,
when she finds it out to be in another street?

Pho! never mind that: either I shall have a way for it, or we shall
thoroughly understand one another by that time; or if we don't, she'll
know enough of me, not to wonder at such a peccadilla.

But how wilt thou hinder the lady from apprizing her friend of the real
name?

She must first know it herself, monkey, must she not?

Well, but how wilt thou do to hinder her from knowing the street, and
her friend from directing letters thither, which will be the same thing
as if the name were known?

Let me alone for that too.

If thou further objectest, that Tom Doleman, is too great a dunce to
write such a letter in answer to mine:--Canst thou not imagine that, in
order to save honest Tom all this trouble, I who know the town so well,
could send him a copy of what he should write, and leave him nothing to
do but transcribe?

What now sayest thou to me, Belford?

And suppose I had designed this task of inquiry for thee; and suppose
the lady excepted against thee for no other reason in the world, but
because of my value for thee? What sayest thou to the lady, Jack?

This it is to have leisure upon my hands!--What a matchless plotter
thy friend!--Stand by, and let me swell!--I am already as big as an
elephant, and ten times wiser!--Mightier too by far! Have I not reason
to snuff the moon with my proboscis?--Lord help thee for a poor, for a
very poor creature!--Wonder not that I despise thee heartily; since the
man who is disposed immoderately to exalt himself, cannot do it but by
despising every body else in proportion.

I shall make good use of the Dolemanic hint of being married. But I will
not tell thee all at once. Nor, indeed, have I thoroughly digested that
part of my plot. When a general must regulate himself by the motions of
a watchful adversary, how can he say beforehand what he will, or what he
will not, do?

Widow SINCLAIR, didst thou not say, Lovelace?--

Ay, SINCLAIR, Jack!--Remember the name! SINCLAIR, I repeat. She has no
other. And her features being broad and full-blown, I will suppose her
to be of Highland extract