92 BEES. 



him, at the same time requesting that he 

 would not put himself to any extraordinary 

 expense. The curate promised to attend to 

 the bishop's suggestion ; but he did not keep 

 his word, for he provided a most sumptuous 

 entertainment. His lordship was much 

 surprised, and could not help censuring the 

 conduct of the curate; observing, that it 

 was highly ridiculous in a man, whose cir- 

 cumstances were so narrow, to launch out in 

 such expense, nay, almost to dissipate his 

 annual income in a single day. — " Do not be 

 uneasy on that score, my lord,"*"* replied the 

 curate; " for I assure you, that what you 

 now see is not the produce of my curacy, 

 which I bestow exclusively up'on the poor."' — 

 " Then you have a patrimony, sir,""* said 

 the bishop. — " No, my lord."' — " You 

 speak in riddles,""* rejoined his lordship; 

 " how do you then contrive to live in this 

 manner ? "-^" My lord, I have a convent 

 of young damsels here, who do not let me 

 want any thing." — " How ! you have a con- 

 vent ! I did not know there was one in this 

 3ieighbourhood. This is ^U vei-y strange. 



