They whipt out two bottles of champagne instantly, for a whet, as they called it; and went to view the stud and the kennel, and then walked in the garden till dinner was ready; my Lord Davers, Mr. H. and Sir Jacob, as well as Mr. B. (for they are all acquainted) accompanying them.

Sir Charles, it seems, as Lord Davers told me afterwards; said, he longed to see Mrs. B. She was the talk wherever he went, and he had conceived a high opinion of her beforehand.

Lord Davers said, “I defy you, gentlemen, to think so highly of her as she deserves, take mind and person together.”

Mr. Floyd said, he never saw any woman yet, who came up to what he expected, where fame had been lavish in her praise.

“But how, brother baronet,” said Sir Charles to Sir Jacob, “came you to be reconciled to her?  I heard that you would never own her.”

“Oons man!” said Sir Jacob, “I was taken in.—­They contrived to clap her upon me as Lady Jenny C. and pretended they’d keep t’other out of my sight; and I was plaguily bit, and forced to get on as well as I could.”

“That was a bite indeed,” said Mr. Walgrave; “and so you fell a praising Lady Jenny, I warrant, to the skies.”

“Ye—­s” (drawling out the affirmative monosyllable), “I was used most scurvily:  faith I was.  I bear ’em a grudge for it still, I can tell ’em that; for I have hardly been able to hold up my head like a man since—­but am forced to go and come, and to do as they bid me.  By my troth, I never was so manageable in my life.”

“Your Herefordshire neighbours, Sir Jacob,” said Mr. Sedley, with an oath, “will rejoice to hear this; for the whole county there cannot manage you.”

“I am quite cow’d now, as you will see by-and-by; nay, for that matter, if you can set Mrs. B. a talking, not one of you all will care to open your lips, except to say as she says.”

“Never fear, old boy,” said Sir Charles, “we’ll bear our parts in conversation.  I never saw the woman yet, who could give me either awe or love for six minutes together.  What think you, Mr. B.?  Have you any notion, that your lady will have so much power over us?”

“I think, Sir Charles, I have one of the finest women in England; but I neither expect nor desire you rakes should see her with my eyes.”

“You know, if I have a mind to love her, and make court to her too, Mr. B., I will:  and I am half in love with her already, although I have not seen her.”

They came in when dinner was near ready, and the four gentlemen took each a large bumper of old hock for another whet.

The countess, Lady Davers, and I came down together.  The gentlemen knew our two noble ladies, and were known to them in person, as well as by character.  Mr. B., in his usual kind and encouraging manner, took my hand, and presented the four gentlemen to me, each by his name.  Sir Charles said, pretty bluntly, that he hoped he was more welcome to me now, than the last time he was under the same roof with me; for he had been told since, that that was our happy day.