“But, madam, it is a great deal more offensive to refuse them.  Let those who make the offer look to their own gowns and coats, for when you interfere, they only wish you at Jericho.”

“It is difficult,” said Mrs. Thrale, “to please everybody.”  She then asked whether -Mr. Langton took any better care of his affairs than formerly?

“No, madam,” cried the doctor, “and never will; he

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complains of the ill effects of habit, and rests contentedly upon a confessed indolence.  He told his father himself that he had ‘no turn to economy;’ but a thief might as well plead that he had ‘no turn to honesty.’”

Was not that excellent?  At night, Mrs. Thrale asked if I would have anything ?  I answered, “No,” but Dr. Johnson said,

“Yes:  she is used, madam, to suppers; she would like an egg or two, and a few slices of ham, or a rasher—­a rasher, I believe, would please her better.”

How ridiculous!  However, nothing could persuade Mrs. Thrale not to have the cloth laid:  and Dr. Johnson was so facetious, that he challenged Mr. Thrale to get drunk!

“I wish,” said he, “my master(47) would say to me, Johnson, if you will oblige me, you will call for a bottle of Toulon, and then we will set to it, glass for glass, till it is done ; and after that, I will say, Thrale, if you will oblige me, you will call for another bottle of Toulon, and then we will set to it, glass for glass, till that is done :  and by the time we should have drunk the two bottles, we should be so happy, and such good friends, that we should fly into each other’s arms, and both together call for the third!”

Now for this morning’s breakfast.

Dr. Johnson, as usual, came last into the library ; he was in high spirits, and full of mirth and sport.  I had the honour of sitting next to him:  and now, all at once, he flung aside his reserve, thinking, perhaps, that it was time I should fling aside mine.

Mrs. Thrale told him that she intended taking me to Mr. T—­’s.

“So you ought, madam,” cried he; “’tis your business to be Cicerone to her.”

Then suddenly he snatched my hand, and kissing it, “Ah!” he added, “they will little think what a tartar you carry to them!”

“No, that they won’t!” cried Mrs. Thrale; “Miss Burney looks so meek and so quiet, nobody would suspect what a comical girl she is — but I believe she has a great deal of malice at heart.”

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“Oh, she’s a toad!” cried the doctor, laughing—­“a sly young rogue! with her Smiths and her Branghtons!”

“Why, Dr. Johnson said Mrs. Thrale, “I hope you are well this morning! if one may judge by your spirits and good humour, the fever you threatened us with is gone off.”

He had complained that he was going to be ill last night.

“Why no, madam, no,” answered he, " “I am not yet well.  I could not sleep at all; there I lay, restless and uneasy, and thinking all the time of Miss Burney.  Perhaps I have offended. her, thought I; perhaps she is angry — I have seen her but once and I talked to her of a rasher!—­Were you angry?”