“Me!” cried he, “no, indeed!  I never complimented any body; that is, I never said to any body a thing I did not think, unless I was openly laughing at them, and making sport for other people.”

" Oh,” cried I, “if everybody went by this rule, what a world of conversation would be curtailed!  The Duchess of Devonshire, I fancy, has better parts.”

Oh yes; and a fine, pleasant, open countenance.  She came to my sister’s once, in Lincolnshire, when I was there, in order to see hare-hunting, which was then quite new to her.”

" She is very amiable, I believe,” said I, “for all her friends love and speak highly of her.”

“Oh, yes, very much so — perfectly good-humoured and unaffected.  And her horse was led, and she was frightened; and we told her that was the hare, and that was the dog; and the dog pointed to the hare, and the hare ran away from the dog and then she took courage, and then she was timid;—­and, upon my word, she did it all very prettily!  For my part, I liked it so well, that in half an hour I took to my own horse, and rode away.”

Mr. Crutchley is bantered about his pride.

While we were at church on Sunday morning, we heard a sermon, upon which, by means of a speech I chanced to make, we have been talking ever since.  The subject was treating of humility, and declaiming against pride; in the midst of which Mrs. Thrale whispered-

“This sermon is all against us; that is, four of us:  Queeny, Burney, Susan, and I, are all as proud as possible—­Mr. Crutchley and Sophy(141) are humble enough.”

“Good heavens!” cried I, “Mr. Crutchley!—­why he is the proudest among us!”

This speech she instantly repeated, and just at that moment the preacher said—­“Those -who are the weakest are ever the soonest puffed up.”

He instantly made me a bow, with an expressive laugh, that

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thanked me for the compliment.  To be sure it happened most untimely.

As soon as we came out of church, he called out-

“Well, Miss Burney, this is what I never can forgive!  Am I so proud?”

“I am sure if you are,” cried Mrs. Thrale, “you have imposed upon me, for I always thought you the humblest man I knew.  Look how Burney casts up her eyes!  Why, are you so proud, after all, Mr. Crutchley?”

“I hope not,” cried he, rather gravely “but I little thought of ever going to Streatham church to hear I was the proudest man in it.”

“Well, but,” said I, “does it follow you certainly are so because I say so?”

“Why yes, I suppose I am if you see it, for you are one that see all things and people right.”

“Well, it’s very odd,” said Mrs. Thrale, “I wonder how she found you out.”

“I wonder,” cried I, laughing, “how you missed finding him out.”

“Oh! worse and worse!” cried he.  “Why there’s no bearing this!”