to this particular; and, when she
explained herself upon it, condemned Mrs. Sinclair's request, and called
it a confident one.

She, artfully, made lighter of her denial of the girl for a bedfellow,
than she thought of it, I could see that; for it was plain, she supposed
there was room for me to think she had been either over-nice, or over-
cautious.

I offered to resent Mrs. Sinclair's freedom.

No; there was no great matter in it. It was best to let it pass. It
might be thought more particular in her to deny such a request, than in
Mrs. Sinclair to make it, or in Miss Partington to expect it to be
complied with. But as the people below had a large acquaintance, she did
not know how often she might indeed have her retirements invaded, if she
gave way. And indeed there were levities in the behaviour of that young
lady, which she could not so far pass over as to wish an intimacy with
her.

I said, I liked Miss Partington as little as she could. Miss Partington
was a silly young creature; who seemed to justify the watchfulness of her
guardians over her.--But nevertheless, as to her own, that I thought the
girl (for girl she was, as to discretion) not exceptionable; only
carrying herself like a free good-natured creature who believed herself
secure in the honour of her company.

It was very well said of me, she replied: but if that young lady were so
well satisfied with her company, she must needs say, that I was very kind
to suppose her such an innocent--for her own part, she had seen nothing
of the London world: but thought, she must tell me plainly, that she
never was in such company in her life; nor ever again wished to be in
such.

There, Belford!--Worse off than Mercury!--Art thou not?

I was nettled. Hard would be the lot of more discreet women, as far as I
knew, that Miss Partington, were they to be judged by so rigid a virtue
as hers.

Not so, she said: but if I really saw nothing exceptionable to a virtuous
mind, in that young person's behaviour, my ignorance of better behaviour
was, she must needs tell me, as pitiable as hers: and it were to be
wished, that minds so paired, for their own sakes should never be
separated.

See, Jack, what I get by my charity!

I thanked her heartily. But said, that I must take the liberty to
observe, that good folks were generally so uncharitable, that, devil take
me, if I would choose to be good, were the consequence to be that I must
think hardly of the whol