My wife approved her fufpicions very much, obférving that fhe was very apt to be fufpicious berfelf; but referred her to all the neighbours fr à character: bút this bur Peèrels declined unnéceffary, allédging that coúfin Thornhill's ecommendation would be fufficient, and upón swè réfted bur petition.

CHÁ P. XII.

Fortune feems refolved to humble the family 6f Wakefield. Mortifications are often more pain ful than real calamities.

hén we were returned home, the night was dedicated to fchèmes of fùture conquéft. Deborah exerted much fagácity in conjecturing which of the two girls was likely to have the bél place, and moft opportunities of feeing good company, The only óbftacle to our preferment was in obtaining the 'Squire's recom mendation; but he had already fhown is too mány inftances of his friendfhip to doubt of it now. Even in bed my wife kept up the fual theme: Well, faith, my dear Chárles, between ourfelves, I think we have made án excellent day's wok of it." -,,Pretty well," cried I, nót nowing what to fày. ,,What only pretty well returned fhè. ,,'I think it is very well. Suppòfe the girls fhould cóme to make acquaintances of tàlte in town! This I am affùred of, that London ís the only place in the world for all mánner óf húfbands. Befides, my dear, ftranger things happen every day: ánd ás ladies of quality.áre fò taken with my daughters, what will nét mén óf quality

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66

bè! 'Entre nous, I protéft I like my Lady Blárney váltly, fò very obliging. However, Mífs Carolina Wilelmina Skeggs hás mỳ warm heart. But yet, when they came to talk of places in town, yoù faw át once hów 'I nailed them. Tell me, my dear, don't you think I díd for my children there?"c ,,Av," returned I, not knowing well what to think of the mátter,,,héaven gránt they may be both the better for it this day three months!" This was one of thofe obfervations I ùfually made to impréfs my wife with an opinion of my fagácity; fór íf the girls fucceeded, then it wás à pious with fulfilled; but if ány thing unfortunate enfùed, then it might be looked upón ás à próphecy. 'All this converfation, however, was only preparatory to another fchème, and indeed I dreaded ás múch. This was nothing less thán, thát ás we were nów to hold up dur héads à little higher in the world, it would be proper to fell the Cólt, which was grown old, át a néighbouring fair, ánd buy ús án hórfe that would carry fíngle or double r) úpón án occafion, and make a pretty appearance át chúrch ór upón à vífit. This át first I oppofed ftóutly; bút ít was ás ftoutly defended. éver, ás I weakened, my antagonist gained Strength, tíll át láft it was refolved to párt with him.

'As the fair happened on the following dày, 'I hád intentions of going myfelf: bút my wife perfuaded me that I hád gót à còld, ánd nothing

r) to carry fingle or double, eine Perfon oder zwei tragen. Es iftin England gar nichts Ungewohnliches, dafs zwei Perfonen auf Einem Pferde fitzen.

nothing could prevail upón hér tó permít mè from home.,,Nò, my dear," fáid The, „óur on Mofes ís à difcreet boy, ánd cán buỳ ánd ell to very good advantage; you know all our great bargains áre of his purchafing. He always ands out and híggles, and actually tires thém he gets à bárgain."

'As I hád fóme opinion of my fon's prulence, I was willing enough to entrust hím ith this commiffion; and the next morning perceived his fifters mighty bify in fitting at Mofes for the fair; trimming his hair, rifhing his buckles, and cócking his hát with ans s). The bufinefs of the toilet being over, è hád át láft the fatisfaction of feeing hím ounted upon the Cólt, with a deal box before im to bring home groceries ín. He had on a coat made of that clóth they call thunder and lightning t), which, though grown too fhórt, was much too good to be thrown away.

Hís

waistcoat was óf gófling green u), and his fifters had tied his hair with, à broad bláck ríbband. We all followed hím féveral paces from thẻ bor, bawling after hím good luck, good luck, we could fee hím nò lónger.

He was fcarce góne, when Mr. Thornhill's útler x) came to congrátulate ús upón óur

s) to cock a hat with pins, einen Hut mit Stecknadeln aufftecken, aufkrämpen, so dass er eckigt wird. t) a coat of that cloath they call thunder and lightning, ein Kleid von dem Tuche, welches man Donner und Blitz nennt, d. h. Tuch von zwei verschiedenen Farben, hell und dunkel.

1) gofling, eine junge Gans; golling green, gänsegrün. *) butler, Kellermeister.

F

good fortune, fiying, that he overheard his young maler mention our names with great commendation.

Go'd fortune feemed refólved nót tỏ come alone. Anó her fotman from the fame family fllowed, with à cárd fór my daughters, im porting, that the two ladies hád received fuch pleafing accounts from M'r. Thornhill óf ús áll, that, after à fe previous enquiries, they hoped to be perfectly fátisfied. „,Ay," cried my wife, I now feè it is nò èafy mátter to get into the families of the great; but when one once gets in, then, as Mòles fáys, one may go fleep." To this pièce of humour, fór fhe intended i fór wit, my daughters affénted with à loud laugh of pléafure. In fhórt, fúch was her fa tisfaction át thís méffage, thát fhè áctually put hér hand into hér pocket, and gave the mel Lenger leven - pénce halfpenny y).

This was to bè óur vífiting day. The next that came was M'r. Burchell, whó hád been át the fair. He brought my little ones à pénny worth of gingerbread each, which my wife undertook to Keep for them, and give them by létters át à tìme z). He brought my daughters allo à couple of bóxes, in which they might keep wafers, fnúff, pátches, or even money, when they got it. My wife was usually fond óf à weèfel kín púrfe, ás bèing the mòft lucky;

y) feven pence halfpenny, 7 pence, fünf Groschen, nach unferm Gelde. Das Komifche liegt wol darin, dafs der Bote fiatt Einer Munze von diesem Werth, entweder einen fixpence und drei halfpence, oder wohl gar funfzehn halfpence erkait.

2) Es ist felcher Pfefferkuchen gemeint, auf welchen die Buchstaben des Alphabete gedruckt find.

Wè hád stíll à regárd

but this by the bye. for M'r. Burchell, tho' his late rude behaviour was in fóme méafure difplèafing; nor could we now avoid communicating our happiness to him, and áfking his advice: although we feldom llowed advice, wè wére áll réady enough to all ít. When he read the note from the two ladies, he fhook his head, and obferved, thát an affair of this fórt demanded the utmost circumfpéction. This air of diffidence highly difpleafed my wife. ,,'I never doubted, Sír," cried fhe,,,your readiness to be against my daughters and mè. You have more circumOpection thán is wanted. However, I fancy when we come to áfk advice, we fhall apply pérfons who seem to have made ùfe of it themfélves." ,,Whatever my own conduct may have been, Mádam," replìed hè, „ís nót the préfent queftion; though ás 'I have made no ufe of advice myfélf, I fhould in cónfcience give it to thofe that will." -- 'As 'I was apprehenfive this anfwer might draw ón à repartee, making up by abùfe what it wanted in wit, I changed the fúbject, by seeming to wonder what could keep our fón fò lóng át the fair, as it wás nów almost nightfall.

Néver mind óur fón," cried my wife, depend upón ít he knows what he is about. I'll warrant we'll never feè hím féll hís hén ón à rainy day a). I have feèn hím buỳ fuch bárgains ás would amaze óne. 'T'll tell you a good story about thát, that will make you fplít your fides with laughing. Bút ás 'I líve, yónder cómes

a) Eine feine

d. h.

richwörtliche Redensart, welche wörtlich heißst: ne nicht an einem trüben Tage verkaufen, en Vortheil verstehen.