“You have so many pretty ways to learn one, Madam,” says Miss, now and then, “that it is impossible we should not regard what you say to us!” Several French tutors, when we were abroad, were recommended to Mr. B. But there is one English gentleman, now on his travels with young Mr. R. with whom Mr. B. has agreed; and in the mean time, my best friend is pleased to compliment me, that the children will not suffer for want of a tutor, while I can take the pains I do:  which he will have to be too much for me:  especially that now, on our return, my Davers and my Pamela are added to my cares.  But what mother can take too much pains to cultivate the minds of her children?—­If, my dear Lady G., it were not for these frequent lyings-in!—­But this is the time of life.—­Though little did I think, so early, I should have so many careful blessings!

I have as great credit as pleasure from my little family.  All our neighbours here admire us more and more.  You’ll excuse my seeming (for it is but seeming) vanity:  I hope I know better than to have it real—­“Never,” says Mrs. Towers, who is still a single lady, “did I see, before, a lady so much advantaged by her residence in that fantastic nation” (for she loves not the French) “who brought home with her nothing of their affectation!”—­She says, that the French politeness, and the English frankness and plainness of heart, appear happily blended in all we say and do.  And she makes me a thousand compliments upon Lord and Lady Davers’s account, who, she would fain persuade me, owe a great deal of improvement (my lord in his conversation, and my lady in her temper) to living in the same house with us.

My Lady Davers is exceeding kind and good to me, is always magnifying me to every body, and says she knows not how to live from me:  and that I have been a means of saving half a hundred souls, as well as her dear brother’s.  On an indisposition of my Lord’s at Montpellier, which made her very apprehensive, she declared, that were she to be deprived of his lordship, she would not let us rest till we had consented to her living with us; saying that we had room enough in Lincolnshire, and she would enlarge the Bedfordshire seat at her own expense.

Mr. H. is Mr. H. still; and that’s the best I can say of him; for I verily think, he is more of an ape than ever.  His whole head is now French.  ’Twas half so before.  We had great difficulties with him abroad:  his aunt and I endeavouring to give him a serious and religious turn, we had like to have turned him into a Roman Catholic.  For he was much pleased with the shewy part of that religion, and the fine pictures, and decorations in the churches of Italy; and having got into company with a Dominican at Padua, a Franciscan at Milan, and a Jesuit at Paris, they lay so hard at him, in their turns, that we had like to have lost him to each assailant:  so were forced to let him take his own course; for, his aunt would have it, that