 of their first husbands, might taste when they got a second; and that perhaps, had he been fool enough to be caught, he might have doated too, and so have gotten a lusty chaplain to help him out, as somebody else did.
These gross jokes were faithfully retailed by Mr. Flush. Not however without a finish, that if the governor—meaning Standfast—had braced the drum of matrimony, a certain genteel dapper cock of an humble servant of his would not have feared coming in for a trevally, or so.
I have never told the reader that Mr. Standfast and Mr. Viney were very intimate friends; and perhaps he has divined why: if not, he will presently. The fact however was so. They had known each other for several years, and indeed upon Viney's being civilly dismissed from Lord Hazard's house, he consulted Standfast, whom he well knew to be a perfect Machiavel in domestic politics, upon the likeliest means to preserve his declining interest in that family.

The stream of Standfast's interest going, at that time, in another channel, nothing came of the negociation; but the major being dead, and he expelled from the presence of the widow, the two friends finding themselves in the same situation, and that the interest of one was the interest of both, they laid their heads together, and considered of the matter in every point of view. At length they agreed that nothing could so perfectly answer their several wishes as to get Standfast into Lord Hazard's family. Take their own words.

'It is such a damned good scheme,' said Standfast, 'that I envy you for thinking on it; but I am devlishly afraid it is not practicable.'

'You are right,' cried Viney, 'let us tread sure. Go on warily: I know his foibles, that is one thing in our favour.'
'How is he for a first sight attack?' said Standfast.
'A very dove,' cried Viney; 'a greenhorn.'
'That is lucky,' said Standfast; 'we have nothing then to consider of but the introduction. Does he know any thing of me?'
'Only by hearsay,' replied Viney, 'and now I recollect, what he did hear was to your advantage. Let me see what was it? Oh that the major, out of his great friendship, had left you

considerably; and, in particular, had commanded his lady on his death bed to take you for her second husband.'

'Ridiculous!'
