young lady!--and my young master!--and Mr. Solmes, with the air of a
great courtier, standing up, because he named you:--Mrs. Betty, said he,
[then the ape of a wench bowed and scraped, as awkwardly as I suppose
the person did whom she endeavoured to imitate,] pray give my humble
service to Miss, and tell her, I wait her commands.

Was not this a wicked wench?--I trembled so, I could hardly stand. I was
spiteful enough to say, that her young mistress, I supposed, bid her put
on these airs, to frighten me out of a capacity of behaving so calmly as
should procure me my uncles' compassion.

What a way do you put yourself in, Miss, said the insolent!--Come, dear
Madam, taking up my fan, which I had laid down, and approaching me with
it, fanning, shall I--

None of thy impertinence!--But say you, all my friends are below with
him? And am I to appear before them all?

I can't tell if they'll stay when you come. I think they seemed to be
moving when Mr. Solmes gave me his orders.--But what answer shall I
carry to the 'squire?

Say, I can't go!--but yet when 'tis over, 'tis over!--Say, I'll wait
upon--I'll attend--I'll come presently--say anything; I care not
what--but give me my fan, and fetch me a glass of water--

She went, and I fanned myself all the time; for I was in a flame; and
hemmed, and struggled with myself all I could; and, when she returned,
drank my water; and finding no hope presently of a quieter heart, I sent
her down, and followed her with precipitation; trembling so, that, had
I not hurried, I question if I could have got down at all.--Oh my dear,
what a poor, passive machine is the body when the mind is disordered!

There are two doors to my parlour, as I used to call it. As I entered
one, my friends hurried out the other. I just saw the gown of my sister,
the last who slid away. My uncle Antony went out with them: but he staid
not long, as you shall hear; and they all remained in the next parlour,
a wainscot partition only parting the two. I remember them both in one:
but they were separated in favour of us girls, for each to receive her
visitors in at her pleasure.

Mr. Solmes approached me as soon as I entered, cringing to the ground,
a visible confusion in every feature of his face. After half a dozen
choaked-up Madams,--he was very sorry--he was very much concerned--it
was his misfortune--and there he stopped, being unable presently to
complete a sentence.

This gave me a little more presen