de of that cloth they call thunder and
lightning, which, though grown too short, was much too good to be thrown
away. His waistcoat was of gosling green, and his sisters had tied his
hair with a broad black ribband. We all followed him several paces, from
the door, bawling after him good luck, good luck, till we could see him
no longer.

He was scarce gone, when Mr Thornhill's butler came to congratulate
us upon our good fortune, saying, that he overheard his young master
mention our names with great commendation.

Good fortune seemed resolved not to come alone. Another footman from the
same family followed, with a card for my daughters, importing, that the
two ladies had received such pleasing accounts from Mr Thornhill of us
all, that, after a few previous enquiries, they hoped to be perfectly
satisfied. 'Ay,' cried my wife, I now see it is no easy matter to get
into the families of the great; but when one once gets in, then, as
Moses says, one may go sleep.' To this piece of humour, for she intended
it for wit, my daughters assented with a loud laugh of pleasure. In
short, such was her satisfaction at this message, that she actually put
her hand in her pocket, and gave the messenger seven-pence halfpenny.

This was to be our visiting-day. The next that came was Mr Burchell,
who had been at the fair. He brought my little ones a pennyworth of
gingerbread each, which my wife undertook to keep for them, and give
them by letters at a time. He brought my daughters also a couple of
boxes, in which they might keep wafers, snuff, patches, or even money,
when they got it. My wife was usually fond of a weesel skin purse, as
being the most lucky; but this by the bye. We had still a regard for
Mr Burchell, though his late rude behaviour was in some measure
displeasing; nor could we now avoid communicating our happiness to him,
and asking his advice: although we seldom followed advice, we were all
ready enough to ask it. When he read the note from the two ladies, he
shook his head, and observed, that an affair of this sort demanded the
utmost circumspection.--This air of diffidence highly displeased my
wife. 'I never doubted, Sir,' cried she, 'your readiness to be against
my daughters and me. You have more circumspection than is wanted.
However, I fancy when we come to ask advice, we will apply to persons
who seem to have made use of it themselves.'--'Whatever my own conduct
may have been, madam,' replied he, 'is not the present