"Well," said Madame Duval, "it's the oddest dress for a general ever
I see!"
"He seems so capital a figure," said Sir Clement, to Mr. Smith,
"that I imagine he must be Generalissimo of the whole army."
"Yes, Sir, yes," answered Mr. Smith, respectfully bowing, and highly
delighted at being thus referred to, "you are perfectly right;-but I
cannot for my life think of his name;-perhaps, Sir, you may remember
it?"
"No, really," replied Sir Clement, "my acquaintance among the generals
is not so extensive."
The ironical tone of voice in which Sir Clement spoke entirely
disconcerted Mr. Smith; who again retiring to an humble distance,
seemed sensibly mortified at the failure of his attempt to recover
his consequence.
Soon after, Mr. Branghton returned with his youngest daughter, who
he had rescued from a party of insolent young men; but he had not
yet been able to find the eldest. Miss Polly was really frightened,
and declared she would never go into the dark walks again. Her father,
leaving her with us, went in quest of her sister.
While she was relating her adventures, to which nobody listened more
attentively than Sir Clement, we saw Mr. Brown enter the room. "O,
la!" cried Miss Polly, "let me hide myself, and don't tell him
I'm come."
She then placed herself behind Madame Duval, in such a manner that
she could not be seen.
"So Miss Polly is not come yet!" said the simple swain: "well,
I can't think where she can be! I've been looking, and looking,
and looking all about, and can't find her all I can do."
"Well, but, Mr. Brown," said Mr. Smith, "sha'n't you go and look for
the lady again?"
"Yes, Sir," said he, sitting down; "but I must rest me a little bit
first. You can't think how tired I am."
"O fie, Mr. Brown, fie," cried Mr. Smith, winking at us, "tired of
looking for a lady! Go, go, for shame!"
"So I will, Sir, presently; but you'd be tired too, if you had walked
so far: besides, I think she's gone out of the garden, or else I must
have seen something or other of her."
A he, he he! of the tittering Polly, now betrayed her, and so ended
this ingenious little artifice.
At last appeared Mr. Branghton and Miss Biddy, who, with a face of
mixed anger and confusion, addressing herself to me, said, "So, Miss,
so you ran away from me! Well, see if I don't do as much by you some
day or other! But I thought how it would be; you'd no mind to leave
the gentlemen, though you run away from me."
I was so much surprised at this attack, that I could not answer her
for very amazement; and she proceeded to tell us how ill she had
been used, and that two young men had been making her walk up and
down the dark walks by absolute force, and as fast as ever they could
tear her along; and many other particulars, which I will not tire you
with relating. In conclusion, looking at Mr. Smith, she said, "But to
be sure, thought I, at least all the company will be looking for me;
so I little expected to find you all here, talking as comfortably as
ever you can. However, I know I may thank my cousin for it!"
"If you mean me, Madam," said I, very much shocked, "I am quite
ignorant in what manner I can have been accessary to your distress."
"Why, by running away so. If you'd stayed with us, I'll answer for
it Mr. Smith and M. Du Bois would have come to look for us; but I
suppose they could not leave your ladyship."
The folly and unreasonableness of this speech would admit of no
answer. But what a scene was this for Sir Clement! his surprise was
evident; and I must acknowledge my confusion was equally great.
We had now to wait for young Branghton, who did not appear for some
time; and during this interval it was with difficulty that I avoided
Sir Clement, who was on the rack of curiosity, and dying to speak
to me.
When, at last, the hopeful youth returned, a long and frightful quarrel
ensued between him and his father, in which his sisters occasionally
joined, concerning his neglect; and he defended himself only by a
brutal mirth, which he indulged at their expense.
Every one now seemed inclined to depart,-when, as usual, a dispute
arose upon the way of our going, whether in a coach or a boat. After
much debating, it was determined that we should make two parties,
one by the water and the other by land; for Madame Duval declared
she would not, upon any account, go into a boat at night.
Sir Clement then said, that if she had no carriage in waiting, he
should be happy to see her and me safe home, as his was in readiness.
Fury started into her eyes, and passion inflamed every feature, as she
answered, "Pardi, no-you may take care of yourself, if you please; but
as to me, I promise you I sha'n't trust myself with no such person."
He pretended not to comprehend her meaning; yet, to waive a discussion,
acquiesced in her refusal. The coach-party fixed upon, consisted of
Madame Duval, M. Du Bois, Miss Branghton, and myself.
I now began to rejoice, in private, that at least our lodgings
would be neither seen nor known by Sir Clement. We soon met with a
hackney-coach, into which he handed me, and then took leave.
Madame Duval having already given the coachman her direction, he
mounted the box, and we were just driving off, when Sir Clement
exclaimed, "By Heaven, this is the very coach I had in waiting for
myself!"
"This coach, your honour!" said the man; "no, that it i'n't."
Sir Clement, however, swore that it was; and presently, the man,
begging his pardon, said he had really forgotten that he was engaged.
I have no doubt but that this scheme occurred to him at the moment,
and that he made some sign to the coachman, which induced him to
support it; for there is not the least probability that the accident
really happened, as it is most likely his own chariot was in waiting.
The man then opened the coach-door, and Sir Clement, advancing to
it, said "I don't believe there is another carriage to be had, or
I would not incommode you; but, as it may be disagreeable to you to
wait here any longer, I beg you will not get out, for you shall be
set down before I am carried home, if you will be so good as to make
a little room."
And so saying, in he jumped, and seated himself between M. Du Bois
and me, while our astonishment at the whole transaction was too great
for speech. He then ordered the coachman to drive on, according to
the directions he had already received.
For the first ten minutes no one uttered a word; and then, Madame
Duval, no longer able to contain herself, exclaimed, "Ma foi, if this
isn't one of the most impudentest things ever I see!"
Sir Clement, regardless of this rebuke, attended only to me; however I
answered nothing he said, when I could possibly avoid so doing. Miss
Branghton made several attempts to attract his notice, but in vain,
for he would not take the trouble of paying her any regard.
Madame Duval, during the rest of the ride, addressed herself to M. Du
Bois in French, and in that language exclaimed, with great vehemence,
against boldness and assurance.
I was extremely glad when I thought our journey must be nearly at an
end, for my situation was very uneasy to me, as Sir Clement perpetually
endeavoured to take my hand. I looked out of the coach-window, to see
if we were near home: Sir Clement, stooping over me, did the same;
and then, in a voice of infinite wonder, called out, "Where the d-l
is the man driving to?-Why we are in Broad Street, St. Giles's!"
"O, he's very right," cried Madame Duval, "so never trouble your
head about that; for I sha'n't go by no directions of your's, I
promise you."
When, at last, we stopped at an hosier's in High Holborn,-Sir Clement
said nothing, but his eyes, I saw, were very busily employed in
viewing the place, and the situation of the house. The coach, he
said, belong to him, and therefore he insisted upon paying for it;
and then he took leave. M. Du Bois walked home with Miss Branghton,
and Madame Duval and I retired to our apartments.
How disagreeable an evening's adventure! not one of the party seemed
satisfied, except Sir Clement, who was in high spirits: but Madame
Duval was enraged at meeting with him; Mr. Branghton, angry with his
children; the frolic of the Miss Branghtons had exceeded their plan,
and ended in their own distress; their brother was provoked that there
had been no riot; Mr. Brown was tired, and Mr. Smith mortified. As to
myself, I must acknowledge, nothing could be more disagreeable to me,
than being seen by Sir Clement Willoughby with a party at once so
vulgar in themselves, and so familiar to me.
And you, too, my dear Sir, will, I know, be sorry that I have met him;
however, there is no apprehension of his visiting here, as Madame
Duval is far too angry to admit him.