no hopes of having any future good customer in the squire ; and they were moreover farther encouraged by his generosity (for he had given them of his own accord sixpence more than their fare); they therefore very boldly demanded another shilling, which so provoked the squire, that he not only bestowed many hearty curses on them at the door, but retained his anger after he came into the room; swearing that all the Londoners were like the court, and thought of nothing but plundering country gentlemen. "D-n me," says he, "if I won't walk in the rain rather than get into one of their hand-barrows again. They have jolted me more in a mile than Brown Bess would in a long fox-chase." When his wrath on this occasion was a little appeased, he resumed the same passionate tone on another. "There," says he, "there is fine business forwards now. The hounds have changed at last, and when we imagined we had a fox to deal with, od-rat it, it turns out to be a badger at last." 'Pray, my good neighbour," said Allworthy, "drop your metaphors, and speak a little plainer." "Why then," says the squire, "to tell you plainly, we have been all this time afraid of a son of a whore, of a bastard of somebody's, I don't know who's, not I--And now here's a confounded son of a whore of a lord, who may be a bastard too for what I know or care, for he shall never have a daughter of mine by my consent. They have beggared the nation, but they shall never beggar me. My land shall never be sent over to Hanover." "You surprise me much, my good friend," said Allworthy. "Why, zounds! I am surprised myself," answered the squire. "I went to zee sister Western last night, according to her own appointment, and there I was had into a whole room full of women.-There was my lady cousin Bellaston, and my Lady Betty, and my Lady Catherine, and my lady I don't know who; d-n me, if ever you catch me among such a kennel of hoop-petticoat b-s. D-n me, I'd rather be run by my own dogs, as one Acton was, that the story book says was turned into a hare; and his own dogs killed un, and eat un. Od-rabbit it, no mortal was ever run in such 3 K VOL. II. |