ABOUT BUYING A HORSE. 99 



Doddridge having been thus brought on to the scene, is 

 not going to have her part cut down ; she continues — 



" You see, Ma'am," addressing Mrs. Pullinger, " Mistress 

 don't expect visitors as a rule, and she seldom goes out her- 

 self, but always do carry the keys, and so she never give it a 

 thought to say to me, ' Here's the bunch,' before Mistress 

 went out this morning," 



I do wish the old idiot would go away. What an extra- 

 ordinary household Pullinger will think ours. But I'm afraid 

 of interfering with her. She has already called me Master 

 George, and has begun to tell them how she recollects me 

 from a boy, and what sort of a boy I was, and what a good 

 Aunt my Aunt has been to me, and how I ought always to 

 take care of my excellent relative (implying, as it were, that 

 I generally locked her up in a room and beat her), and how 

 (seeing her audience enjoying it, and thinking that I do too, 

 because I am obliged to smile — confound it ! ) she remembers 

 me, on the eventful day when I gave up petticoats and was 

 fitted by my first tailor, and how I used to fight and kick 

 her (Doddridge), with many other pleasgjit and interesting 

 anecdotes, which would go on (I feel sure) for another hour 

 — Doddridge being " i' the vein" and having quite an 

 exceptional field-day of it — if it had not been that the front 

 gate bell suddenly rings, whereupon she disappears, and (as I 

 expected) the visitors rise, with many apologies for detaining 

 me so long from my work [they have heard about my being 

 engaged on the compilation of Typical Developments]^ and 

 commence quitting the room in a sort of procession, with 

 much the air of relief that would be exhibited by well-bred 



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