While this bállad wás rèading, Sophìa sèemed tó míx án àir of tenderness with hér approbàtion. Bút òur tranquillity was soon distúrbed by the repòrt óf a gún júst bỳ ús; and, immédiately after, a mán wás sèen bursting through the hedge, tó take up the game hè hád killed. This spòrtsman was the Squire's chaplain, whò hád shót óne of the blackbirds that sò agreeably entertained ús. Sò lòud a repòrt, ánd sò nèar, startled my daughters; and I could perceive that Sophia, ín the fright, hád thròwn herself into Mr. Búrchell's àrms fór protéction. The gentleman càme úp, ánd àsked pàrdon for having

distúrbed ús, affirming thát hè wás ignorant of our being so near. He therefore sát down by my youngest daughter, ánd, sportsmanlike 10), óffered hér whát hè hád killed that morning. She was going to refùse, bút a private look fróm hér móther soon induced hér tó corréct the mistake, and accépt hís présent, though with some reluctance. My wife, ás ùsual, discovered hér pride in a whisper; obsérving, thát Sóphy hád màde a conquest of the chaplain, ás wéll ás hér síster hád of the Squire. Ì suspected, however, with mòre probabílity, thát hér affections wère placed upón a dífferent óbject. The chaplain's érrand wás tó inform ús, thát Mr. Thòrnhill hád provided mùsic and refreshments, and inténded that night giving the young ladies a ball by moonlight on the gráss-plot before òur dòor.,,Nór cán Ì denỳ,“ ‚“contínued hè, „bút Ì háve án ínterest ín bèing first tó deliver thís méssage, ás Ì expéct fór mỳ rewàrd tó bè honoured with Miss Sophia's hánd ás a partner." Tó thís mỳ girl replied, that shè should háve nò objection, íf she could dò ít with hónour.,,Bút hère, continued shè, gís a géntleman," looking át Mr. Búrchell,,,whò hás béen my companion ín the tàsk fór the dày, ánd ít ís fit hè should shàre ín íts amusements." Mr. Burchell returned hér a cómpliment fór hér inténtions, bút resigned hér úp tó the chaplain, ádding, thát hè wás tó gò thát night five miles, being invited tó a harvest súpper. His refùsal appèared tó mè a little extraordinary, nór could Ì conceive hów sò sénsible a girl ás mỳ yoùngest, could thús prefér a mán óf bròken fortunes tó óne whòse expectations wère múch greater. Bút ás mén àre mòst capable of distín guishing mérit ín women, sò the ladies òften form the truest júdgements óf ús. The twò séxes sèem plàced ás spìes upón èach other, ánd àre furnished with different abilities, adapted fór mutual inspéction

10) sportsman, spòrtsmanlike. Spòrt ist eben so unübersetzbar, wie gentleman. Es heisst keineswegs blos Jäger, sondern es bezeichnet einen Mann, der alle Vergnügungen dieser Art, oder auch nur mehre davon, mit Leidenschaft und Geschick treibt. Boxen, Pferderennen, Entenschiessen, Fuchshetzen, Hahnenkämpfe u. s. w., alles das ist sport. Briefe eines Verst. II, Thl. p. 76.

CHAPTER IX.

Two Ladies of great distinction_introduced. Superior finery ever seems to confér supèrior breeding.

Mn. Búrchell hád scarcely taken leave, and Sophia con sénted tú dànce with the cháplain, whén mỳ little ones came rúnning òut tó téll ús, that the Squire wás cóme with a crowd of company. Upón òur return, wè found our landlord with a ouple of under-géntlemen and twò yoúng làdies richly dréssed, whóm hè introduced as women óf véry great distínction ánd fashion from town. Wè happened nót tó háve chàirs enough for the whole cómpany; bút Mr. Thòrnhill immediately propòsed thát évery gentleman should sit in a làdy's láp. This I pósitively objected to, notwithstanding a look óf disapprobation from my wife. Moses was therefore dispatched tó bórrow a touple of chairs; ánd, ás wè wère in wánt óf làdies tó make úp a sét óf country-dàncers, the twò gentlemen went with hím ín quést óf a couple of partners. Chairs and partners wère soon provided. The gentlemen returned with mỳ nèighbour Flámborough's ròsy daughters, flaunting with réd tóp-knóts. Bút án unlucky círcumstance wás nót advérted tó; though the Miss Flamboroughs wère réckoned the véry bést dàncers in the párish, and understood the jíg ánd the roundabout tó perféction, yét they were totally unacquainted with country-dànces. This át first discomposed ús; however, àfter a little shoving and drágging, they át last wént mérrily on '). Our music consisted of twò fiddles, with a pipe and tàbor. The mòon shone bright; Mr. Thornhill ánd mỳ éldest daughter léd úp the bàll, to the great delight of the spectators; for the nèighbours, hearing what was going forward, cème flocking about ús. My girl moved with sò múch grace ánd vivácity, thát mỳ wife could nót avoid discovering the pride of hér heàrt, bỳ assùring mè, thát, though the little chít did it sò cléverly, àll the steps wère stolen from herself. The ladies of the town stròve hàrd tó bé

1) they went mérrily ón, am Ende gings mit ihnen ganz lustig vorwärts.

èqually easy, bút without success. They swám 2), sprawled, lánguished, and frísked; bút àll would nót dò : the gàzers, indeed, owned that it was fine; bút nèighbour Flamborough obsérved, thát Miss Lívy's feet seemed ás pát to the music ás its écho. Àfter the dance hád contínued about án hòur, the twò làdies, whò wère apprehensive of catching cold, moved tó break úp the ball. One of them, Ì thought, expressed hér sentiments upon this occasion ín a véry coarse mánner, whén shè obsérved, thát, by the living jíngo, shè wás àll of a múck of sweat. Upón òur return to the house, we found a véry élegant cold supper, which Mr. Thornhill hád ordered to bè brought with him. The conversàtion, át thís time, wás mòre resérved than before. The twò làdies threw mỳ girls quite ínto the shade; for they would talk óf nóthing bút hìgh life, and highlived company, with other fashionable topies, sách ás pictures, taste, Shakspeare, and the musical glasses 3). "Tís true, they once or twice mortified ús sénsibly bỳ slipping out án òath; bút that appeared to mè ás the sùrest symptom of their distinction, though Ì ám since informed that swearing is pérfectly unfashionable. Their finery, however, threw a veil over any gróssness in their conversation. My daughters seemed tó regàrd thèir supèrior accomplishments with envy; and what éver appeared amiss, wás ascribed tó típtop quality breeding. Bút the condescension of the ladies wás stíll supèrior to thèir other accomplishments. Óne of thém obsérved, thát, hád Miss Olívia seen a little more of the world, it would greatly improve hér. Tó which the other added, that a single winter in town would make hér líttle Sophia quite another thing. My wife warmly assented tó bòth, ádding, thát thère wás nóthing shè more ardently wished than to give hér girls a single winter's pólishing. Tó this I could not help replying, that their breeding wás already supèrior tó thèir fòrtune; and that greater refinement would only sérve tó make their póverty ridículous, ánd give them a taste for pléasures they had no right tó posséss. ,,And what pleasures," cried Mr. Thòrnhill,,,dò thèy not de

2) swám, schwammen, d. h. sie zerarbeiteten sich, bemühten sich aus allen Kräften, gut zu tanzen.

3) mùsieal glasses, s. mùsieal im Wörterb.

sérve tó posséss, whò háve sò múch ín their power tó bestòw? As for mỳ part,... contínued hè,',,mỳ fortune is prétty làrge; lóve, liberty, ánd pléasure are mỳ máxims; bát cúrse mè, ít a settlement óf half my estàte could give mỳ chàrming Olívia pléasure, ít should bè hérs, ánd the only favour Ì would ask ín return, would bè tó ádd myself tó the benefit." Ì wás nót súch a stranger to the world ás tó bè ígnorant that this wás the fashionable cánt tó disguise the insolence of the bàsest propòsal; bút Ì màde án effort to suppress mỳ reséntment. „Sír,“ cried Ì,,,the family which you now condescend to favour with your company, hás béen bréd with ás nice a sénse of honour ás you. Any attémpts to injure thát, mày bè attended with véry dangerous consequences. Honour, sír, is our only posséssion át présent, and of thát làst treasure wè múst bè par tícularly careful.“ Ì was soon sórry for the warmth with which I had spoken this, when the young gentleman, grásping my hand, swòre hè commended my spírit, though hè disappròved my suspicions.,,Ás tó yòur présent hint," contínued hè,,! protést nóthing wás farther fròm mỳ hoàrt thán súch a thòught. No, by all that's témpting, the virtue that will stand a régular siège wás néver tó mỳ tàste; fór all my amoùrs àre cárried by a coup de main *).“

The twò làdies, whò affected tó bè ígnorant óf the rést, seemed highly displeased with this last stròke óf frèedom, ánd begán a véry discrèet ánd sèrious dialogue upón vírtue; ín this, my wife, the chaplain, and Ì, sòon jòined; and the Squire himself wás át làst brought to conféss a sénse óf sórrow fór hís former excésses. Wè talked of the pleasures of témperance, and of the sunshine in the mind unpolluted with guilt. Ì wás sò well plèased, thát mỳ little ónes wère képt áp beyond the ùsual time, tó bè édified by sò múch good conversation. Mr. Thornhill even went beyond mè, ánd demanded íf Ì hád ány objection tó giving prayers. Ì joyfully embraced the propòsal; ánd in this mánner the night wás pàssed in a mòst cómfortable wày, tíll át léngth the company began to think of returning. The ladies seemed véry unwilling to part with my daughters,

4) coup de main, franz., Ueberrumpelung.