mother taught her to make, and which her father
and sons both liked. She was very glad if they pleased her company. More
such remarks follow: more dishes; ten times as much meat as is
needful for the company. Mr. Washington does not embark in the general
conversation much, but he and Mr. Talmadge, and Major Danvers, and
the Postmaster, are deep in talk about roads, rivers, conveyances,
sumpter-horses and artillery train; and the provincial militia Colonel
has bits of bread laid at intervals on the table before him, and
stations marked out, on which he has his finger, and regarding which he
is talking to his brother aides-de-camp, till a negro servant, changing
the courses, brushes off the Potomac with a napkin, and sweeps up the
Ohio in a spoon.

At the end of dinner, Mr. Broadbent leaves his place and walks up behind
the Lieutenant-Governor's chair, where he says grace, returning to his
seat and resuming his knife and fork when this work of devotion is over.
And now the sweets and puddings are come, of which I can give you a
list, if you like; but what young lady cares for the puddings of to-day,
much more for those which were eaten a hundred years ago, and which
Madam Esmond had prepared for her guests with so much neatness and
skill? Then, the table being cleared, Nathan, her chief manager, lays a
glass to every person, and fills his mistress's. Bowing to the company,
she says she drinks but one toast, but knows how heartily all the
gentlemen present will join her. Then she calls, "His Majesty," bowing
to Mr. Braddock, who with his aides-de-camp and the colonial gentlemen
all loyally repeat the name of their beloved and gracious Sovereign. And
hereupon, having drunk her glass of wine and saluted all the company,
the widow retires between a row of negro servants, performing one of her
very handsomest curtsies at the door.

The kind Mistress of Castlewood bore her part in the entertainment with
admirable spirit, and looked so gay and handsome, and spoke with such
cheerfulness and courage to all her company, that the few ladies who
were present at the dinner could not but congratulate Madam Esmond upon
the elegance of the feast, and especially upon her manner of presiding
at it. But they were scarcely got to her drawing-room when her
artificial courage failed her, and she burst into tears on the sofa by
Mrs. Laws' side, just in the midst of a compliment from that lady. "Ah,
madam!" she said, "it may be an honour, as y