And thus ended this affair. The woman went away before me. She begged the favour, at the door, of one word with me. My lord started up at her voice: his complexion varied: he whipt as nimbly behind the door, as if he had no gout in his foot. 1 will not see her, said he.

I stepped out. She complimented, thanked me, and wept; yet, in the height of her concern, would have uttered bitter things against my lord: but I stopped her mouth, by telling her, that I was to be her paymaster, quarterly, of the 250/. a year; and she turned her execrations against her lord, into blessings on me: but, after all, departed with re-luctance.

Pride, and not tenderness,, was visibly the occa-sion. Could she have secured her whole annuity, I have no doubt but she would have gratified that pride, by leaving her lord in triumph while she thought her departure would have given him re-gret: but to be dismissed, was a disgrace that affected her, and gave bitterness to her insolent spirit.

Letter XI.

Sir Charles Grandison to Dr. Bartlett. In Continuation.

My lord, though he had acquitted himself on the occasion in such a manner as darted into my mind a little ray of my beloved mother’s spirit, could not forbear giving way to his habitual littleness, when he was assured Giffard was out of the house. He called Halden to him, who entered with joy in his countenance, arising (as it came out) from the same occasion; and ordered him to make all his domestics happy on his deliverance, as he meanly called it: asking. If there were any body in the house who loved her? Not a single soul, said Halden; and I am sure, that I may venture to congratulate your lordship, in the names of all your servants: for she was proud, imperious, and indeed a tyranness, to all beneath her. I

I then, for the first time, pitied the woman; and should have pitied her still more (true as this might, in some measure, be) had she not gone away so am-ply rewarded: for, in this little family I looked for — ward to the family of the state; the sovereign and his ministers. How often has a minister, who has made a tyrannical use of power (and even some who have not) experienced, on his dismission, the like treatment from those who, had they had his power, would perhaps have made as — bad an use of it; who, in its plenitude, were fawning, creeping slaves, as these servants might be to this mistress of their lord! We read but of one grateful Cromwell, in all the superb train of Wolsey, when — he had fallen into disgrace; and yet he had in it hundreds, some not ignobly born, and all of them less meanly descended than their magnificent master.