“Well, Mr. Crutchley, has she convinced you?”
“I don't know,” cried I, “but he has convinced me.”
“Why, how you smote him,” cried Mrs. Thrale, “but I think you make your
part good as you go on.”
“The great difference,” said I, “which I think there is between Mr.
Seward and Mr. Crutchley, who in some things are very much alike, is
this--Mr. Seward has a great deal of vanity and no pride, Mr. Crutchley
a great deal of pride and no vanity.”
“Just, and true, and wise!” said dear Mrs. Thrale, “for Seward is always
talking of himself, and always with approbation; Mr. Crutchley seldom
mentions himself, and when he does, it is with dislike. And which have
I, most pride or most vanity?”
“Oh, most vanity, certa!” quoth I.
At Supper we had only Sir Philip and Mr. Crutchley. The conversation of
the morning was then again renewed.--
“Oh!” cried Mrs. Thrale, “what a smoking did Miss Burney give Mr.
Crutchley!”
“A smoking, indeed!” cried He. “Never had I such a one before! Never did
I think to get such a character! I had no notion of it.”
“Nay, then,” said I, “why should you, now?”
“But what is all this?” cried Sir Philip, delighted enough at any
mischief between Mr. Crutchley and me, or between any male and female,
for he only wishes something to go forward, and thinks a quarrel or
dispute next best to fondness and flirting.
“Why, Miss Burney,” answered she, “gave Mr. Crutchley this morning a
noble trimming. I had always thought him very humble, but she shewed me
my mistake, and said I had not distinguished pride from vanity.”
“Oh, never was I so mauled in my life,” said he.
Enough, however, of this rattle, which lasted till we all went to bed,
and which Mrs. Thrale most kindly kept up, by way of rioting me from
thinking, and which Mr. Crutchley himself bore with the utmost good
nature, from having noticed that I was out of spirits....
_July 2_--The other morning Mrs. Thrale ran hastily into my room, her
eyes full of tears, and cried,--
“What an extraordinary man is this Crutchley! I declare he has quite
melted me! He came to me just now, and thinking I was uneasy I could do
no more for Perkins,[142] though he cared not himself if the man were
drowned, he offered to lend him a thousand pounds, merely by way of
giving pleasure to me!”