how it was," said he, looking at the table, where the
dishes stood untouched; "you could not eat by yourself, nor I either:
so come along with me, and we'll have a bit of supper together, and chat
over your business afterwards."

Perhaps I might have declined a more polished invitation; whether or
not, it was of no use to refuse him, for he would not accept an excuse;
and down we went to his chamber, and supped together. Unlike my slender
meal, his was excellent, and the wine first-rate. He made me tell him
about the loss of my trunk, twice over, I believe; and then he moralised
a great deal about the rascality of the Continent generally, and Italy
in particular, which, however, he remembered, could not be wondered at,
seeing that three-fourths of the population of every rank did nothing
but idle all day long. After that he inquired whether I had any pursuit
myself; and although pleased when I said Yes, his gratification became
sensibly diminished on learning the nature of the employment, "I may be
wrong," said he, "but I have always taken it, that you diplomatic folk
were little better than spies in gold-laced coats--fellows that were
sent to pump sovereigns and bribe their ministers." I took a deal of
pains, "for the honour of the line," to undeceive him; and, whether
I perfectly succeeded or not, I certainly secured his favour towards
myself, for, before we parted, it was all settled that I was to travel
back with him to England, he having a carriage and a strong purse, and
that he was to be my banker in all respects till I reached my friends.

As we journeyed along through France, where my knowledge of the language
and the people seemed to give the greatest pleasure to my companion, he
informed me that he was a farmer near Nottingham, and had come abroad
to try and secure an inheritance bequeathed to him by a brother, who for
several years had been partner in a great silk factory near Piacenza.
In this he had only partly succeeded, the Government having thrown all
possible obstructions in his way; still he was carrying back with him
nearly twenty thousand pounds--a snug thing, as he said, for his little
girl, for he was a widower with an only child. Of Amy he would talk
for hours--ay, days long! It was a theme of which he never wearied.
According to him, she was a paragon of beauty and accomplishments. She
had been for some time at a boarding-school at Brighton, and was the
pride of the establishment. "Oh, if I coul