n treatment I met with from the
country people and parson; the description of which, I perceived, drew
tears from the charming creature's eyes. When I had finished my recital,
my mistress, said, "Ma foi! le garcon est bien fait!" To which opinion
Narcissa assented, with a compliment to my understanding, in the same
language, that flattered my vanity extremely.

The conversation, among other subjects, turned upon the young squire,
whom my lady inquired after under the title of the Savage; and was
informed by her niece that he was still in bed, repairing the fatigue of
last night's debauch, and recruiting strength and spirits to undergo a
fox chase to-morrow morning, in company with Sir Timothy Thicket, Squire
Bumper, and a great many other gentlemen of the same stamp, whom he had
invited on that occasion! so that by daybreak the whole house would
be in an uproar. This was a very disagreeable piece of news to the
virtuoso, who protested she would stuff her ears with cotton when she
went to bed, and take a dose of opium to make her sleep the more sound,
that she might not be disturbed and distracted by the clamour of the
brutes.

When their dinner was over, I and my fellow servants sat down to ours in
the kitchen, where I understood that Sir Timothy Thicket was a wealthy
knight in the neighbourhood, between whom and Narcissa a match had been
projected by her brother, who promised at the same time to espouse Sir
Timothy's sister; by which means, as their fortunes were pretty equal,
the young ladies would be provided for, and their brothers be never the
poorer; but that the ladies did not concur in the scheme, each of them
entertaining a hearty contempt for the person allotted to her for
a husband by this agreement. This information begat in me a mortal
aversion to Sir Timothy, whom I looked upon as my rival, and cursed in
my heart for his presumption.

Next morning, by daybreak, being awakened by the noise of the hunters
and hounds, I rose to view the cavalcade, and had a sight of my
competitor, whose accomplishments (the estate excluded) did not seem
brilliant enough to give me much uneasiness with respect to Narcissa,
who, I flattered myself, was not to be won by such qualifications as he
was master of, either as to person or mind. My mistress, notwithstanding
her precaution, was so much disturbed by her nephew's company, that
she did not rise till five o'clock in the afternoon; so that I had an
opportunity of examinin