Hackton
family that it goes to my heart to be disunited from them. My poor, I
fear, may suffer in consequence of my separation from you, and my being
hence-forward unable to bring to your notice instances of distress
and affliction; which, when they were known to you, I will do you the
justice to say, your generosity was always prompt to relieve.'

There may have been some truth in this, for the old gentleman was
perpetually pestering me with petitions, and I know for a certainty,
from his own charities, was often without a shilling in his pocket;
but I suspect the good dinners at Hackton had a considerable share in
causing his regrets at the dissolution of our intimacy: and I know
that his wife was quite sorry to forego the acquaintance of Bryan's
gouvernante, Mademoiselle Louison, who had all the newest French
fashions at her fingers' ends, and who never went to the rectory but you
would see the girls of the family turn out in new sacks or mantles the
Sunday after.

I used to punish the old rebel by snoring very loud in my pew on Sundays
during sermon-time; and I got a governor presently for Bryan, and a
chaplain of my own, when he became of age sufficient to be separated
from the women's society and guardianship. His English nurse I married
to my head gardener, with a handsome portion; his French gouvernante I
bestowed upon my faithful German Fritz, not forgetting the dowry in the
latter instance; and they set up a French dining-house in Soho, and I
believe at the time I write they are richer in the world's goods than
their generous and free-handed master.

For Bryan I now got a young gentleman from Oxford, the Rev. Edmund
Lavender, who was commissioned to teach him Latin, when the boy was
in the humour, and to ground him in history, grammar, and the other
qualifications of a gentleman. Lavender was a precious addition to our
society at Hackton. He was the means of making a deal of fun there. He
was the butt of all our jokes, and bore them with the most admirable and
martyrlike patience. He was one of that sort of men who would rather be
kicked by a great man than not be noticed by him; and I have often put
his wig into the fire in the face of the company, when he would laugh
at the joke as well as any man there. It was a delight to put him on
a high-mettled horse, and send him after the hounds,--pale, sweating,
calling on us, for Heaven's sake, to stop, and holding on for dear life
by the mane and the crupper. H