My dear Mr. B. and the two ladies, agreed with me to take a little airing in the coach, and to call in upon Mr. Martin, who had a present made him for his menagerie, in which he takes a great delight, of a rare and uncommon creature, a native of the East Indies.  But just as Sir Jacob was on horseback to accompany them, and the ladies were ready to go, I was taken with a sudden disorder and faintishness; so that Lady Davers, who is very tender of me, and watches every change of my countenance, would not let me go with them, though my disorder was going off:  and my dear Mr. B. was pleased to excuse me; and just meeting with Mr. Williams, as they went to the coach, they took him with them, to fill up the vacant place.  So I retired to my closet, and shut myself in.

They had asked Mr. H. to go with them, for company to Sir Jacob; but he (on purpose, as I believe by what followed) could not be found, when they set out:  so they supposed he was upon some ramble with Mr. Colbrand, his great favourite.

I was writing to you, being pretty well recovered, when I heard Polly, as I supposed, and as it proved, come into my apartment:  and down she sat, and sung a little catch, and cried, “Hem!” twice; and presently I heard two voices.  But suspecting nothing, I wrote on, till I heard a kind of rustling and struggling, and Polly’s voice crying, “Fie—­How can you do so!—­Pray, Sir.”

This alarmed me much, because we have such orderly folks about us; and I looked through the key-hole; and, to my surprise and concern, saw Mr. H.—­foolish gentleman!—­taking liberties with Polly, that neither became him to offer, nor, more foolish girl! her to suffer.  And having reason to think, that this was not their first interview, and freedom—­and the girl sometimes encouragingly laughing, as at other times, inconsistently, struggling and complaining, in an accent that was too tender for the occasion, I forced a faint cough.  This frighted them both:  Mr. H. swore, and said, “Who can that be?—­Your lady’s gone with them, isn’t she?”

“I believe so!—­I hope so!” said the silly girl—­“yet that was like her voice!—­Me’m, are you in your closet, Me’m?” said she, coming up to the door; Mr. H. standing like a poor thief, half behind the window-curtains, till he knew whether it was I.

I opened the door:  away sneaked Mr. H., and she leaped with surprise, not hoping to find me there, though she asked the question.

“I thought—­Indeed—­Me’m—­I thought you were gone out,”—­“It is plain you did, Polly.—­Go and shut the chamber door, and come to me again.”

She did, but trembled, and was so full of confusion, that I pitied the poor creature, and hardly knew how to speak to her.  For my compassion got the upper hand of my resentment; and as she stood quaking and trembling, and looking on the ground with a countenance I cannot describe, I now and then cast my eye upon her, and was as often forced to put my handkerchief to it.