78 



INTELLECTUAL AND IMITATIVE 



she was about to give. By some accident the 

 mother and daughter had picked up an acquain- 

 tance with a young man of quality, who had 

 been struck with the showy figure of the young 

 lady. Speculations and plots followed ; and, with 

 the bold decision of an able general, the fond 

 mother resolved to complete her daughter's con- 

 quest by a coup de main; and the young gentleman 

 having rode out that way, with two of his 

 fashionable companions, she lost not a moment in 

 asking them all to take what she called a family 

 dinner, at the villa, on an early day, which she 

 named. For this the choicest viands and wines 

 were provided, and a French cook and powdered 

 waiter were procured, and a quantity of plate was 

 hired in for the occasion ; so that the worthy lady 

 felt so strong, both in troops and in the materiel 

 de guerre^ that she already, in imagination, beheld 

 her daughter as the wife of the young honourable. 



The day, and the hour, and the guests arrived. 

 Dinner was served. The lady so managed matters, 

 that her daughter was seated next to her admirer. 

 Operas and balls were talked of ; every thing was 

 in apple-pie order ; the soup and fish courses 

 passed away ; and a haunch of venison was an- 

 nounced, ambiguously stated as being from the 

 park of a noble friend, — the real fact being, that 

 it was purchased from a butcher, who had it from 

 his lordship's keeper. During the interval that 

 took place before its appearance, John was des- 

 patched for champagne. The company waited ; 



