Dog! said I, are you not to court one of Mrs. Moore’s maids to-night?—­

Cry your mercy, Sir!—­I will be sober.—­I had forgot that—­but old Grimes is plaguy tough, I thought I should never have got him down.

Away, villain!  Let old Grimes come, and on horseback too, to the door—­

He shall, and please your honour, if I can get him on the saddle, and if he can sit—­

And charge him not to have alighted, nor to have seen any body—­

Enough, Sir, familiarly nodding his head, to show he took me.  And away went the villain—­into the parlour, to the women, I.

In a quarter of an hour came old Grimes on horseback, waving to his saddle-bow, now on this side, now on that; his head, at others, joining to that of his more sober beast.

It looked very well to the women that I made no effort to speak to old Grimes, (though I wished, before them, that I knew the contents of what he brought;) but, on the contrary, desired that they would instantly let my spouse know that her messenger was returned.

Down she flew, violently as she had the head-ache!

O how I prayed for an opportunity to be revenged of her for the ungrateful trouble she had given to her uncle’s friend!

She took the letter from old Grimes with her own hands, and retired to an inner parlour to read it.

She presently came out again to the fellow, who had much ado to sit his horse—­Here is your money, friend.—­I thought you long:  but what shall I do to get somebody to go to town immediately for me?  I see you cannot.

Old Grimes took his money, let fall his hand in doffing it; had it given him, and rode away; his eyes isinglass, and set in his head, as I saw through the window, and in a manner speechless—­all his language hiccup.  My dog needed not to have gone so deep with this tough old Grimes.  But the rascal was in his kingdom with him.

The lady applied to Mrs. Moore; she mattered not the price.  Could a man and horse be engaged for her?—­Only to go for a letter left for her, at one Mr. Wilson’s, in Pall-mall.

A poor neighbour was hired—­a horse procured for him—­he had his directions.

In vain did I endeavour to engaged my beloved, when she was below.  Her head-ache, I suppose, returned.—­She, like the rest of her sex, can be ill or well when she pleases.

I see her drift, thought I; it is to have all her lights from Miss Howe before she resolves, and to take her measures accordingly.

Up she went expressing great impatience about the letter she had sent for; and desired Mrs. Moore to let her know if I offered to send any one of my servants to town—­to get at the letter, I suppose, was her fear; but she might have been quite easy on that head; and yet, perhaps, would not, had she known that the worthy Captain Tomlinson, (who will be in town before her messenger,) will leave there the important letter, which I hope will help to pacify her, and reconcile her to me.