To have the better excuse to avoid his teasing, I am ready dressed to go to church this morning.  I will go only to St. James’s church, and in a chair; that I may be sure I can go out and come in when I please, without being intruded upon by him, as I was twice before.

***

Near nine o’clock.

I have your kind letter of yesterday.  He knows I have.  And I shall expect, that he will be inquisitive next time I see him after your opinions of his proposals.  I doubted not your approbation of them, and had written an answer on that presumption; which is ready for him.  He must study for occasions of procrastination, and to disoblige me, if now any thing happens to set us at variance again.

He is very importunate to see me.  He has desired to attend me to church.  He is angry that I have declined to breakfast with him.  I am sure that I should not have been at my own liberty if I had.  I bid Dorcas tell him, that I desired to have this day to myself.  I would see him in the morning as early as he pleased.  She says, she knows not what ails him, but that he is out of humour with every body.

He has sent again in a peremptory manner.  He warns me of Singleton.  I sent him word, that if he was not afraid of Singleton at the playhouse last night, I need not at church to-day:  so many churches to one playhouse.  I have accepted of his servant’s proposed attendance.  But he is quite displeased, it seems.  I don’t care.  I will not be perpetually at his insolent beck.—­Adieu my dear, till I return.  The chair waits.  He won’t stop me, sure, as I go down to it.

***

I did not see him as I went down.  He is, it seems, excessively out of humour.  Dorcas says, not with me neither, she believes:  but something has vexed him.  This is perhaps to make me dine with him.  But I will not, if I can help it.  I shan’t get rid of him for the rest of the day, if I do.

***

He was very earnest to dine with me.  But I was resolved to carry this one small point; and so denied to dine myself.  And indeed I was endeavouring to write to my cousin Morden; and had begun three different times, without being able to please myself.

He was very busy in writing, Dorcas says; and pursued it without dining, because I denied him my company.

H afterwards demanded, as I may say, to be admitted to afternoon-tea with me:  and appealed by Dorcas to his behaviour to me last night; as if I sent him word by her, he thought he had a merit in being unexceptionable.  However, I repeated my promise to meet him as early as he pleased in the morning, or to breakfast with him.

Dorcas says, he raved:  I heard him loud, and I heard his servant fly from him, as I thought.  You, my dearest friend, say, in one of yours,* that you must have somebody to be angry at, when your mother sets you up.  I should be very loth to draw comparisons; but the workings of passion, when indulged, are but too much alike, whether in man or woman.