nce, with great courtesy, and made a
most grave and ceremonious obeisance unto the lofty lady. She pursued
her path, returning the salutation with a kind of smile, and at the same
easy ambling pace as was her wont, proceeded up the hill. Just as she
reached the summit thereof our eyes were gladdened with the sight, so
long desired, of the light equipage on two wheels of the kind Mr
Snowton, containing my excellent wife and her young charge, and also
various boxes of uncommon size, in which were laid great store of bodily
adornment for both the ladies; as was more fully seen thereafter, on the
opening of the boxes, by reason of Mr Snowton having privily conveyed
into them various changes of apparel for the use of my excellent wife,
as also for each of the three girls. To Charles he also sent the image
of an ass, which, by touching a certain string, did open its mouth and
wave its ears in a manner most curious to behold, wherewith the infant
was infinitely delighted, as was I, without enquiring at that time into
the exquisite mechanism whereby the extraordinary demonstrations were
produced. But in the course of little more than a month he was led, by
his enquiring turn of mind, to pry into the mystery; and in the pursuit
of knowledge--laudable surely in a person of his years, and
demonstrative of astonishing sagacity and research--he did take the
animal entirely to pieces, and saw the inward parts thereof. The great
lady, with all the retinue, stopped short as she encountered with my
excellent wife at the top of the hill, and did most courteously make
tender enquiries of her state of health, and also of her plans--whereof
she seemed some little instructed--and expressed her satisfaction
therein, and did make many sweet speeches to her, and also to the pupil,
and trusted that she would be good and dutiful, and an earnest and
affectionate daughter of the Church of England. To all which my
excellent wife replied in fitting terms, and Alice Snowton--so was she
named--made promise so to do, God being her helper and I her teacher;
and thereupon the great lady bended her head with smiles, and rode on.
When they got down to where we stood in the church field, the flush of
modesty, and perhaps of pride, at being spoken to in such friendly guise
by the haughty Lady Mallerden, had not yet left the cheek of my
excellent wife, upon which I impressed a kiss of true love, and held up
little Charles as high as I could, to enable him to do