Well, but we have had a good serious falling-out; and it still subsists.  It began on Friday night; present, Lord and Lady L——­, and Emily.  I was very angry with him for bringing it on before them.  The man has no discretion, my dear; none at all.  And what about?  Why, we have not made our appearance at court, forsooth.

A very confident thing, this same appearance, I think!  A compliment made to fine clothes and jewels, at the expense of modesty.

Lord G——­ pleads decorum—­Decorum against modesty, my dear!—­But if by decorum is meant fashion, I have in a hundred instances found decorum beat modesty out of the house.  And as my brother, who would have been our principal honour on such an occasion, is gone abroad; and as ours is an elderly novelty, as I may say, [Our fineries were not ready, you know, before my brother went,] I was fervent against it.

‘I was the only woman of condition, in England, who would be against it.’

I told my lord, that was a reflection on my sex:  but Lord and Lady L——­, who had been spoken to, I believe, by Lady Gertrude, were both on his side—­[I shall have this man utterly ruined for a husband among you]—­ When there were three to one, it would have looked cowardly to yield, you know.  I was brave.  But it being proposed for Sunday, and that being at a little distance, it was not doubted but I would comply.  So the night passed off, with prayings, hopings, and a little mutteration. [Allow me that word, or find me a better.] The entreaty was renewed in the morning; but, no!—­’I was ashamed of him,’ he said.  I asked him if he really thought so?—­’He should think so, if I refused him.’  Heaven forbid, my lord, that I, who contend for the liberty of acting, should hinder you from the liberty of thinking!  Only one piece of advice, honest friend, said I:  don’t imagine the worst against yourself:  and another, if you have a mind to carry a point with me, don’t bring on the cause before any body else:  for that would be to doubt either my duty, or your own reasonableness.

As sure as you are alive, Harriet, the man made an exception against being called honest friend; as if, as I told him, either of the words were incompatible with quality.  So, once, he was as froppish as a child, on my calling him the man; a higher distinction, I think, than if I had called him a king, or a prince.  The man!—­Strange creature!  To except to a distinction that implies, that he is the man of men!—­You see what a captious mortal I have been forced to call my lord.  But lord and master do not always go together; though they do too often, for the happiness of many a meek soul of our sex.

Well, this debate seemed suspended, by my telling him, that if I were presented at court, I would not have either the Earl or Lady Gertrude go with us, the very people who were most desirous to be there—­But I might not think of that, at the time, you know—­I would not be thought very perverse; only a little whimsical, or so.  And I wanted not an excellent reason for excluding them—­’Are their consents to our past affair doubted, my lord, said I, that you think it necessary for them to appear to justify us?’