Two ladies of great distinction introduced. Superior finery ever seems
to confer superior breeding.
Mr Burchell had scarce taken leave, and Sophia consented to dance with
the chaplain, when my little ones came running out to tell us that the
’Squire was come, with a crowd of company. Upon our return, we found
our landlord, with a couple of under gentlemen and two young ladies
richly drest, whom he introduced as women of very great distinction and
fashion from town. We happened not to have chairs enough for the whole
company; but Mr Thornhill immediately proposed that every gentleman
should sit in a lady’s lap. This I positively objected to,
notwithstanding a look of disapprobation from my wife. Moses was
therefore dispatched to borrow a couple of chairs; and as we were in
want of ladies to make up a set at country dances, the two gentlemen
went with him in quest of a couple of partners. Chairs and partners
were soon provided. The gentlemen returned with my neighbour
Flamborough’s rosy daughters, flaunting with red top-knots, but an
unlucky circumstance was not adverted to; though the Miss Flamboroughs
were reckoned the very best dancers in the parish, and understood the
jig and the round-about to perfection; yet they were totally
unacquainted with country dances. This at first discomposed us:
however, after a little shoving and dragging, they at last went merrily
on. Our music consisted of two fiddles, with a pipe and tabor. The moon
shone bright, Mr Thornhill and my eldest daughter led up the ball, to
the great delight of the spectators; for the neighbours hearing what
was going forward, came flocking about us. My girl moved with so much
grace and vivacity, that my wife could not avoid discovering the pride
of her heart, by assuring me, that though the little chit did it so
cleverly, all the steps were stolen from herself. The ladies of the
town strove hard to be equally easy, but without success. They swam,
sprawled, languished, and frisked; but all would not do: the gazers
indeed owned that it was fine; but neighbour Flamborough observed, that
Miss Livy’s feet seemed as pat to the music as its echo. After the
dance had continued about an hour, the two ladies, who were
apprehensive of catching cold, moved to break up the ball. One of them,
I thought, expressed her sentiments upon this occasion in a very coarse
manner, when she observed, that by the living jingo, she was all of a
muck of sweat. Upon our return to the house, we found a very elegant
cold supper, which Mr Thornhill had ordered to be brought with him. The
conversation at this time was more reserved than before. The two ladies
threw my girls quite into the shade; for they would talk of nothing but
high life, and high lived company; with other fashionable topics, such
as pictures, taste, Shakespear, and the musical glasses. ‘Tis true they
once or twice mortified us sensibly by slipping out an oath; but that
appeared to me as the surest symptom of their distinction, (tho’ I am
since informed that swearing is perfectly unfashionable.) Their finery,
however, threw a veil over any grossness in their conversation. My
daughters seemed to regard their superior accomplishments with envy;
and what appeared amiss was ascribed to tip-top quality breeding. But
the condescension of the ladies was still superior to their other
accomplishments. One of them observed, that had miss Olivia seen a
little more of the world, it would greatly improve her. To which the
other added, that a single winter in town would make her little Sophia
quite another thing. My wife warmly assented to both; adding, that
there was nothing she more ardently wished than to give her girls a
single winter’s polishing. To this I could not help replying, that
their breeding was already superior to their fortune; and that greater
refinement would only serve to make their poverty ridiculous, and give
them a taste for pleasures they had no right to possess.—‘And what
pleasures,’ cried Mr Thornhill, ‘do they not deserve to possess, who
have so much in their power to bestow? As for my part,’ continued he,
‘my fortune is pretty large, love, liberty, and pleasure, are my
maxims; but curse me if a settlement of half my estate could give my
charming Olivia pleasure, it should be hers; and the only favour I
would ask in return would be to add myself to the benefit.’ I was not
such a stranger to the world as to be ignorant that this was the
fashionable cant to disguise the insolence of the basest proposal; but
I made an effort to suppress my resentment. ‘Sir,’ cried I, ‘the family
which you now condescend to favour with your company, has been bred
with as nice a sense of honour as you. Any attempts to injure that, may
be attended with very dangerous consequences. Honour, Sir, is our only
possession at present, and of that last treasure we must be
particularly careful.’—I was soon sorry for the warmth with which I had
spoken this, when the young gentleman, grasping my hand, swore he
commended my spirit, though he disapproved my suspicions. ‘As to your
present hint,’ continued he, ‘I protest nothing was farther from my
heart than such a thought. No, by all that’s tempting, the virtue that
will stand a regular siege was never to my taste; for all my amours are
carried by a coup de main.’
The two ladies, who affected to be ignorant of the rest, seemed highly
displeased with this last stroke of freedom, and began a very discreet
and serious dialogue upon virtue: in this my wife, the chaplain, and I,
soon joined; and the ’Squire himself was at last brought to confess a
sense of sorrow for his former excesses. We talked of the pleasures of
temperance, and of the sun-shine in the mind unpolluted with guilt. I
was so well pleased, that my little ones were kept up beyond the usual
time to be edified by so much good conversation. Mr Thornhill even went
beyond me, and demanded if I had any objection to giving prayers. I
joyfully embraced the proposal, and in this manner the night was passed
in a most comfortable way, till at last the company began to think of
returning. The ladies seemed very unwilling to part with my daughters;
for whom they had conceived a particular affection, and joined in a
request to have the pleasure of their company home. The ’Squire
seconded the proposal, and my wife added her entreaties: the girls too
looked upon me as if they wished to go. In this perplexity I made two
or three excuses, which my daughters as readily removed; so that at
last I was obliged to give a peremptory refusal; for which we had
nothing but sullen looks and short answers the whole day ensuing.