"Why no, Sir; his Lordship has been very cross all the way from Chippenham, because we did not make more haste, though he may thank his stars we did not tip him over upon the Downs, for the roads are as bad as bad can be; we have been near five hours coming these twenty miles."
"Well, but do you think I shall run any serious risk if I attempt the Devizes road on horseback? "
"Why, faith , Sir, you would be froze to death if you have nothing worse to fear; I would not go back again this evening for a guinea; and we heard at Kennet that the Devizes road was much worse than our's: but there is a carriage behind us which comes from there, 'tis my belief; if they should stop here, you will be better able to decide. I know, if I was in your place, I should think it safest to stop till morning."

"I shall be in better spirits by and by, Mama," cried Betsey, "if you would but give me something to eat."
"What a gut do you grow!" politely observed the sister.
"I am sure I an't half so greedy as you are, Patty," was the retort courteous, while their mother asked the new comers if they chose any soup; adding, by way of tempting them to taste it, "We had a leg of mutton for dinner yesterday, and this is the liquor it was boiled in, stewed up with some split pease. I always endeavour to make the most of everything."

" Nae be surprised, gentlemen," she said, "to find, though we have got sic a large and gude hoose , that we prefer the back to the front of it. 'Tis my fancy, and my gude mon loves his Moggy sae weel , that he seldom contradicts her. I prefer comfort to shew , ye ken ; and though I live in my kitchen aw winter, I flatter mysel 'tis as clean as ony parlour in summer. I like the rooms next the street ; but here I can enjoy the morning sun, which delights me during my breakfast. We eat our dinner hot from the fire, and my tea is as gude again when my water is nae carried about frae the kitchen to the parlour; and this ye shall experience, my gude friends, for I wish ye to remember the comfortable dish of tea that ye met with at Sandy Mackintosh's that ye may be tempted to visit us again, though ye were received in a kitchen." [some narrative omitted]
(S)he declared, "if she had but had sic a bairn by her dear Sandy, she should be the happiest woman in aw Britain." [some narrative omitted]
She was pressing them to taste some cracknels , a sort of cake peculiar to the island , when a violent ringing at the street-door made her exclaim-- "Here comes my torment ; step and let the foolish fellow in, Mary," turning to her assistant rather than her servant, "for ten to one if ony of his men are at hame . 'Tis a pure silly body of a Baronet, an Officer in one of the regiments now here, wha , taking advantage of my gude temper, prevailed upon me to take him into my hoose ; but if I could once see the back of him, he should nae darken my doors again." [some narrative omitted] " Ye are parfectly reeght , my gude friend. I have heard this hopeful sprig of Nobility tauk about Winchester." [some narrative omitted]
" Yere fellows, Sir Peter, are nae in my keeping; I nae ken nor care what has got them; perhaps they are gone to the ball."

" Ye cartainly canna refuse to encourage sic a bonny lad, Sir Peter," said the diverted Mrs Mackintosh. "But perhaps, as ye are old schoolfellows, ye may think of providing for him in a more honourable way. 'Tis almost a pity, I tell him, to dirty sae handsome a hand in our filthy business."

"God bless that handsome face!"
Instantly recognizing her voice, he checked his horse, saying, "How are you, Martha? How is Madam Merton?"
"Why, did you not meet her, your Honour?" with a look that denoted triumph; "I told you I would be a match for her--she is off, she is off! I made the place too hot for her withered carcase;--you know I said I would, and Martha was never worse than her word."
By this time she was surrounded by the horsemen, who having bets depending, were all anxious to know if she was gone never to return.
"Truly is she," cried Martha; "she popped off quite slily, bag and baggage, while all the folks here were in the midst of the bustle this morning;--I suppose you, gentlemen, be all comed to the wedding."
"No, indeed," replied Montague; "we did not even know there had been any such great doings in your village."
"Why, the Lord have mercy upon me! your Honour quite surprises me! Not heard of our grand wedding? Why ban't you Madam Balfour's kinsmen?"
"To be sure we are, Martha," cried Henry, "so pray tell us all about this wedding?"
"Well, I did not think as she would have gone to have kept the matter a secret from you neither ; but mayhap she thought the bridegroom might have been jealous of such handsome young gentlemen, for God knows , he is none so tempting, and his bride might have repented, you know, before the day was over; for though he can sing psalms with the best on 'em , and lift up his eyes like a duck in thunder, as a body may say , when he is at a meeting, he can be charming and crusty sometimes when he sees fit, and will make her heart ache, or I am mistaken. He was a fine young tyrant when I had him at nurse , and what is bred in the blood is never out of the flesh; and God knows he has been a sad dog since he grew up:--but, as Madam Balfour says, and she knows what's what if any body does he is grown a new man; but she is a dear good soul, and may be taken in, for there, Mrs Merton made her, I verily think, believe she was akin to the Queen, and that she was one of the greatest ladies in all England;--if she had said greatest something else, you take me , she would have been nearer the mark: however, nobody chose to see her after I had let out upon her calling me a drunkard; so she was forced to pack up, and trudge, and I warrant me she will keep out of my reach in future.

"oh how sweet that dear little brogue sounds in my Irish ears," cried one of the party; "we are most of us your Lordship's countrymen, and would all have been murdered, do you see, before your grandson should have come to any harm. To be sure, it was an Irish lad gave him those ugly thumps upon his face; but we have done for the spalpeen ; he won't be after kidnapping another great man in a hurry! The devil burn me if he ought not to have been roasted by the fire we made of his goods."

"Come along then, dame ," cried the old man, bustling forward, and getting in first himself; then calling out, "Tip us your daddle!" he presented his hand to his wife. [some narrative omitted]
" Coachy , I suppose you sort of chaps know the way by night as well as by day in this confused great town? But hark ye me , and be sure you take the nearest way; do you mind , we live at my cousin Barrett's that keeps the great oil shop upon Holborn Hill, number two hunderd and---- rot me if I can remember what, but it is next door to----" [some narrative omitted]
"A gentleman farmer, mayhap ," rejoined the old man; "but I don't wish to be inquisitive."
"Exactly so," replied Henry.
"Well, and no offence to you, Sir; I should prefer a farmer's to a soldier's life. However, I shall be very glad to see either or both of you at Great Yarmouth, in Norfolk; I will give you a bit of good mutton, a well-aired bed, a bottle of good old port, and a hearty welcome into the bargain."

"Well, more's the pity, say I," cried the old man; " but hark ye me , before we part, you shall both of you promise to dine or sup with with us while we stay in London; and we return to Yarmouth next week."
"I wish the gentlemen could make it convenient to come to-night, lovee ," cried his wife. [some narrative omitted]
"Well, we sup at nine, gentleman, and the sooner you come, the better we shall be pleased."

[Letter from Hawkins to Lord Delmont]
My Lord,
Though I am but a sorry hand at inditing, notwithstanding I writes a very plain good hand, which makes me not over fond of doing business by letter, I take the liberty of sending you these lines, with mine, and my wife's, and Sally's humble duty. No tidings can we gain of Polly; but that is neither here nor there. We are in duty bound to thank your Lordship, who might have law for nothing, seeing as how your own father is a lawyer, for sparing me and mine from an expensive suit. God knows , I have reason enough to dread attornies' bills. I paid a swinging one ( more's the pity) no such long time agone . I forgot to ask where t'other young gentleman lived; so hope your Lordship, out of your great goodness, will please to tell him how sorry my wife and self are, and how ready we are to ask his sister's pardon. I suppose his name being Brown, and her's being White, she is not his own sister; but I don't mean to be curious; it don't concern me, as your Lordship knows without my telling you. I also hope Mr. James was satisfied with my promise to send him a barrel of herrings, which I would double rather than go to law: I was always a man of my word in matters of business. But what I chiefly put pen to paper for was, after offering my duty and so forth to your Lordship, to inform you I intend to take my wife and remaining daughter out of this wicked town this very night. I mean no offence in what I says about London; but your Lordship knows I have met with crosses and mishaps enough, since I comed here, to have turned a wiser body's brain; but not to trouble you to read a longer letter, I shall once more in all our names, not forgetting cousin Barrett, humbly entreat you to pardon the past. So no more at present from your Lordship's dutiful humble servants to command,
Joseph Hawkins,