called. She was so extremely agreeable, and made so many apologies for the behaviour of herself and company the evening I spent at her house, that I could not help cordially forgiving, tho' in my heart I could not thoroughly excuse her.
You must consider my dear, said she, that your ideas and mine on certain points cannot fail to be extremely opposite. You have been educated in absolute solitude, and must have taken your opinions

either from reading, which is a very erroneous guide to form your sentiments upon, and one that ever leads to narrow prejudices and contracted notions, or have imbibed your rules of manners from the conversation of your father, who lived in the last age, at least in times that did not allow of those freedoms that the present fully authorize. As for me, besides the sanction which matrimony at a very early period of life gave to the natural gaiety of my temper, I have seen a good deal of the world; my character therefore is established. I fear not the voice of censure; and those gentlemen whose mirth offended you so much, were men I have long known; two of them were my relations; and you must allow that in the midst of their life and spirit no real impropriety was thought of.
Though I did not exactly agree in this opinion, I allowed it to pass without endeavouring to confute it; and after sitting

an hour, during which Mrs. Weldon conversed so rationally and agreeably that she made me entirely forget my resentment, she took leave, being engaged she said with her lawyers at a certain hour; having first made me promise to dine with her two days hence, when she assured me there should be no company except a female relation, with whom she was certain I should be much pleased.
As Mrs. Weldon's company is at all times really delightful, for she possesses the art of rendering the most trifling occurrences interesting from the insinuating gaiety with which she relates them, I consented; having first confessed that I hoped none of the gentlemen of her last party would join us. If any of them call, cried she laughing, I promise you I shall give orders to be denied, since the pretty little prude will have it so.
After she was gone, having a little time to myself, which is not often the

case, I recollected that I had some trifling business to transact with Mrs. Brumpton, my late landlady, relating to part of our baggage, which still remained at her house; and as I wished to make Mrs. Hindon a trifling present of a very