ies;
which they were very fond of doing: but said not one single word in
behalf of his morals--Mind that also, in your uncle's style.

Mr. Hickman said, that Mr. Lovelace was very happy, as he understood, in
the esteem of the ladies; and smiling, to make them believe he did not
think amiss of it, that he pushed his good fortune as far as it would
go.

Well put, Mr. Hickman! thought I; equally grave and sage--thou seemest
not to be a stranger to their dialect, as I suppose this is. But I said
nothing; for I have often tried to find out this might sober man of my
mother's: but hitherto have only to say, that he is either very moral,
or very cunning.

No doubt of it, replied one of them; and out came an oath, with a Who
would not?--That he did as every young fellow would do.

Very true! said my mother's puritan--but I hear he is in treaty with a
fine lady--

So he was, Mr. Belton said--The devil fetch her! [vile brute!] for
she engrossed all his time--but that the lady's family ought to
be--something--[Mr. Hickman desired to be excused repeating what--though
he had repeated what was worse] and might dearly repent their usage of a
man of his family and merit.

Perhaps they may think him too wild, cries Hickman: and theirs is, I
hear, a very sober family--

SOBER! said one of them: A good honest word, Dick!--Where the devil has
it lain all this time?--D---- me if I have heard of it in this sense
ever since I was at college! and then, said he, we bandied it about
among twenty of us as an obsolete.

These, my dear, are Mr. Lovelace's companions: you'll be pleased to take
notice of that!

Mr. Hickman said, this put him out of countenance.

I stared at him, and with such a meaning in my eyes, as he knew how to
take; and so was out of countenance again.

Don't you remember, my dear, who it was that told a young gentleman
designed for the gown, who owned that he was apt to be too easily put
out of countenance when he came into free company, 'That it was a bad
sign; that it looked as if his morals were not proof; but that his good
disposition seemed rather the effect of accident and education, than
of such a choice as was founded upon principle?' And don't you know
the lesson the very same young lady gave him, 'To endeavour to stem and
discountenance vice, and to glory in being an advocate in all companies
for virtue;' particularly observing, 'That it was natural for a man to
shun or to give up what he was ashamed of