MATTHEW AND JEMIMA. 303 



never have occasion to question. But when you require a man of 

 my years and sedentary habits ' to take horse/ and gallop the Lord 

 knows where after this giddy couple, you forget that since I hunted 

 in Epping Forest, now forty years ago, I have not been acquainted 

 with the back of that useful quadruped. To take horse, therefore, 

 like your ancestors of yore is impossible; but, to please you, 111 

 follow them with all convenient speed, in some commodious vehicle ; 

 and, but that they have already so many hours start of me, I doubt 

 not I might come up with them." 



Mrs. Golightly was too reasonable not to accept this compromise, 

 and it was agreed that Mr. Robinson should set off in pursuit of her 

 daughter. He accordingly took his leave ; and having, on his arrival 

 at his chambers in Clement's- Inn, eaten his dinner in his usual peace- 

 able manner, and finished his pint of old port, he ordered his one- 

 horse chaise, drawn by " old stumps," to be brought to the door, and 

 took his departure comfortably for St. Albans. 



" Old Stumps," said he, as he settled himself in his seat, " will 

 take me very well the first stage, and save posting." 



CHAP. II. THE NEGOTIATIONS. 



LEAVING, therefore, Mr. Robinson in pursuit, we must visit, for a 

 moment, the mansion in Portman-square. Mrs. Evergreen, as soon 

 as she had missed her son, instituted an inquiry among the household, 

 which coupled with her own observation of Matthew's conduct for the 

 few preceding days, led her to conjecture nearly what had happened; 

 and a certain hieroglyphic, which was at this time brought to the 

 house by a post-boy, confirmed, as far as it could be decyphered, the 

 correctness of her suspicions, It was, indeed, a note hastely written 

 by Matthew at the first stage, and contained a bungling apology for 

 the step he had taken. 



" The cunning, good-for-nothing idiot!" muttered this partial mother, 

 " that he should have slipped through my fingers in this way ; he 

 will be bringing home some forward impudent minx, I warrant,, who 

 will soon think the house too small to hold us both. Eloped, indeed, 

 the sly cur! I never thought he had spirit enough. O Matthew! 

 Matthew ! what a fool hast thou made of thyself !" And with this com- 

 fortable estimate of her son's character, she began to chew not the cud 

 of sweet and bitter fancy but the cud of reflection, which soon led to the 

 philosophical conclusion that " what cannot be cured must be endured." 

 Much, therefore, as she disapproved of this precipitate proceeding, she 

 thought it as well to conceal her displeasure, and, by conciliating the 

 good will of Mrs. Golightly, endeavour to acquire favour in her eyes, 

 and a little ascendency over the mind of her daughter-in-law. For 

 this purpose she sat herself down to compose such an epistle to Mrs. 

 Golightly, as, while it made her sensible of the good fortune of her 

 daughter, and the imprudence of young Evergreen, should still hold 

 forth the olive-branch, and contain some indirect proposals of oblivion 

 for the past and friendship for the future. After sundry sheets of 

 paper had been sacrificed to the concoction of these important over- 

 tures, they were written out in a fair round hand, and dispatched to 



