_Contains some few particulars which followed the reconciliation_
Though this reconciliation was not altogether sincere on the side of Mr.
Munden, yet being made in the presence of Sir Ralph and Lady Trusty, it
kept him from giving any flagrant remonstrations, at present, that it
was not so; and he continued to live with his amiable wife in the most
seeming good harmony for some time.
She, on her part, performed with the utmost exactitude all she had
promised to him; and though she could not be said to feel for him all
that warmth of affection which renders the discharge of our duty so
great a pleasure to ourselves, yet her good-nature and good-sense well
supplied that deficiency, and left him no room to accuse her of the
least failure in what might be expected from the best of wives.
During this interval of tranquillity, she lost the society of two
persons, the tenderness of whose friendship for her she had experienced
in a thousand instances: Mr. Francis Thoughtless, who had stayed so long
in town, merely through the indulgence of his commanding officer, was
now obliged to repair to his regiment, then quartered at Leeds in
Yorkshire; and Sir Ralph Trusty, having finished his affairs in town,
his lady returned with him to their country-seat.
Thus was she almost at once deprived of the only two persons to whom she
could impart her mind without reserve, or on whose advice she could
depend in any exigence whatever; for, as to her elder brother, he was
too eager in the pursuit of his pleasures, and too much absorbed in
them, to be truly solicitous for any thing that did not immediately
relate to them; she saw him but seldom, and, when she did so, there was
a certain distance in his behaviour towards her which would not permit
her to talk to him with that freedom she could have wished to do.
She had not, however, any fresh motive to regret their departure on this
account; Mr. Munden continued to behave to her in much the same manner
as he had done since the breach had been made up between them: he was,
indeed, very much abroad; but as she was far from being passionately
fond of him, and only desired he would treat her with civility when with
her, the little she enjoyed of his company was no manner of affliction
to her.
She still retained some part of that gaiety, and love of a variety of
conversation, which had always been a predominant propensity in her
nature; and though in all her excursions, and the liberties she took,
she carefully avoided every thing that might taint her virtue, or even
cast a blemish on her reputation, yet were they such, as a husband who
had loved with more ardency, would not, perhaps, have been very easy
under: on his part, also, the late hours he came home at--the messages
and letters which were daily brought to him by porters, might have given
much disquiet to a wife, not defended from jealousy by so great a share
of indifference: but in this they were perfectly agreed--neither offered
to interfere with the amusements of the other, nor even pretended to
enquire into the nature of them.
Though this was a mode of living together, which was far from being
capable of producing that happiness for which the state of marriage was
ordained, yet was it perfectly easy to persons who had so little real
affection for each other; and, however blameable in the eyes of the
truly discreet, escaped the censure of the generality of mankind, by
it's being so frequently practised.
But I shall not expatiate on their present manner of behaviour to each
other, since it was not of any long continuance, but proceed to the
recital of a little adventure, which, though it may seem trifling to the
reader in the repetition, will hereafter be found of some consequence.
It was a mighty custom with Lady Mellasin and Miss Flora, when they had
nothing of more consequence to entertain them, to go among the shops,
and amuse themselves with enquiring after new fashions, and looking over
that variety of merchandize which is daily brought to this great mart of
vanity and luxury.
Mrs. Munden, while in a virgin state, and a boarder at Mr. Goodman's,
used frequently to accompany those ladies when bent on such sort of
rambles; and she still was fond enough of satisfying her curiosity this
way, at such times as she found nothing else to do, or was not in a
humour to give or receive visits.
Happening one day to pass by the well-furnished shop of an eminent
mercer, and seeing several silks lie spread upon the counter, she was
tempted to step in, and examine them more nearly. A great number of
others were also taken from the shelves, and laid before her; but she
not seeming to approve any of them, the mercer told her he had some
curious pieces out of the loom that morning of a quite new pattern,
which he had sent his man with to a lady of quality, and expected he
would be back in a few minutes, so intreated she would be pleased either
to stay a little, or give him directions where she might be waited upon.
Mrs. Munden complied with the former of these requests; and the rather,
because, while they were talking, she heard from a parlour, behind the
shop, a harpsichord very finely touched, accompanied with a female voice
which sung, in the most harmonious accents, part of this air, composed
by the celebrated Signior Bononcini--
'M'insegna l'amor l'inganno,
Mi togl'al cor, l'assanno,
Mi da l'ardir amor,
Mi da l'ardir amor.'
The attention Mrs. Munden gave to the musick, preventing her from
speaking, the mercer said he was sorry she was obliged to wait so long:
'I rather ought to thank you, Sir, for detaining me, since I have an
entertainment more elegant than I could have expected elsewhere.'
'The lady sings and plays well indeed, Madam,' said he: 'she is a
customer of mine, and sometimes does my wife the favour of passing an
hour with her.'
The lady still continued playing; and Mrs. Munden expressing a more than
ordinary pleasure in hearing her, the complaisant mercer asked her to
walk into the parlour; to which she replied, she would gladly accept his
offer, provided it would be no intrusion: he assured her it would not be
accounted so in the least; and with these words conducted her into the
room.
A few words served to introduce her to his wife, who being a very
genteel, pretty sort of woman, received her with great civility: but
the fair musician was no sooner told the effects her accents had
produced on Mrs. Munden, than, though she was a foreigner, and spoke
very broken English, she returned the compliment made her by that lady
on the occasion, in a manner so perfectly free, and withal so noble, as
discovered her to have been bred among, and accustomed to converse with,
persons in the highest stations in life.
Vain as Mrs. Munden was of her perfections, she was always ready to
acknowledge and admire those she found in others of her sex. There was
something in this lady, that attracted her in a peculiar manner; she
took as much delight in hearing her talk, as she had done in hearing her
sing; she longed to be of the number of her acquaintance, and made her
several overtures that way; which the other either did not, or would
not, seem to understand.
The mercer's man returning with the silks his master had mentioned, Mrs.
Munden thought, after the obliging entertainment she had received, she
could do no less than become a purchaser of something: accordingly she
bought a piece of silk for a night-gown; though at the time she had not
the least occasion for it, nor, on her coming into the shop, had any
intention to increase her wardrobe.
Having now no longer a pretence to stay, she gave the mercer directions
where to send home the silk, and then took her leave: but could not do
it without telling the lady, that she should think herself extremely
happy in having the opportunity of a much longer conversation with her.
On her speaking in this manner, the other appeared in very great
confusion; but having, after a pretty long pause, a little recovered
herself, 'It is an honour, Madam,' said she, 'I would be extremely
ambitious of; and had certainly taken the liberty to request it of you,
if there were not a cruel peculiarity in my fate, which deprives me of
all hopes of that, and many other blessings, I could wish to enjoy.'
Mrs. Munden was so much surprized at these words, that she could only
reply, she was sorry a lady, who appeared so deserving, should be denied
any thing she thought worthy of desiring.
It might well, indeed, seem a little strange that a lady so young,
beautiful, and accomplished, should have any motive to induce her to
speak in the terms she had done. Mrs. Munden had a good deal of
curiosity in her composition; she thought there was something
extraordinarily mysterious in the circumstances of this stranger; and
was very desirous of penetrating into the secret.
About an hour after she came home, the mercer's man brought the silk:
she enquired of him the name, condition, and place of abode, of the
young lady she had seen at his master's; but received not the least
information from him as to any of the questions she had put to him. He
told her, that though she often bought things at their shop, yet his
master always carried them home himself, and he was entirely ignorant of
every thing relating to her.
This a little vexed her, because she doubted not but that, if she once
found out her name, quality, and where she lived, her invention would
supply her with the means of making a more particular discovery. She
resolved, therefore, on going again to the shop, under the pretence of
buying something, and asking the mercer himself, who she could not
imagine would have any interest in concealing what she desired to know.
Some company coming in, prevented her from going that afternoon; but she
went the next morning after breakfast. The mercer not happening to be at
home, she was more than once tempted by her impatience to ask for his
wife, and as often restrained by the reflection that such a thing might
be looked upon as a piece of impertinence in a person so much a
stranger: she therefore left the house without speaking to any body but
the man she had seen the day before.
Her curiosity, however, would not, perhaps, have suffered her to stop
here, if something of more moment had not fallen out to engage her
attention, and put the other out of her head for the present.
The nobleman on whom Mr. Munden depended for the gift so often mentioned
in this history, had been a long time out of town, and was but lately
returned. He had heard in the country that Mr. Munden was married, and
that his wife was very beautiful and accomplished.
On Mr. Munden's going to pay his compliments to him on his arrival, 'I
congratulate you,' said he; 'I am told you are married, and have got one
of the prettiest and most amiable women in London for a wife.'
'As to beauty, my lord,' replied he, 'there is no certain standard for
it; and I am entirely of the poet's mind, that--
"'Tis in no face, but in the lover's eye."
'But whatever she is,' continued he, 'I am afraid she would be too vain
if she knew the honour your lordship does her, in making this favourable
mention of her.'
'Not at all,' rejoined the peer; 'but I shall not take her character
from common fame--you must give me leave to be a judge of the
perfections I have heard so much talk of: besides,' pursued he, 'I have
a mind to see what sort of a house you keep; I think I will come some
day, and take a dinner with you.'
It is not to be doubted but that Mr. Munden omitted nothing that might
assure his lordship, that it was an honour which he was extremely
ambitious of, and should be equally proud of receiving, though he durst
not have presumed to have asked it.
The very next day being appointed for this grand visit, he went home to
his wife, transported with the gracious behaviour of his patron towards
him. He threw a large parcel of guineas into her lap; and charged her to
spare nothing that might entertain their noble guest in a manner
befitting his high rank, and the favours he expected one day to receive
from him.
Mr. Munden could not have given any commands that would be more pleasing
to his fair wife: feasting and grand company were her delight. She set
about making the necessary preparations with the greatest alacrity
imaginable; and it must be acknowledged that, considering the shortness
of the time, she had sufficient to have employed the most able and
experienced housewife.