"don't let your imagination run away with you, my charmer. That boy," he
added, looking at Thames, "has his eye upon us."

Mrs. Wood, however, was too much excited to attend to the caution.

"O, lud!" she cried; "French noblemen in disguise! and so rude as I was!
I shall never recover it!"

"A good supper will set all to rights," insinuated Kneebone. "But be
prudent, my angel."

"Never fear," replied the lady. "I'm prudence personified. You might
trust me with the Chevalier himself,--I'd never betray him. But why
didn't you let me know they were coming. I'd have got something nice. As
it is, we've only a couple of ducks--and they were intended for you.
Winny, my love, come with me. I shall want you.--Sorry to quit your
lord--worships, I mean,--I don't know what I mean," she added, a little
confused, and dropping a profound curtsey to the disguised noblemen,
each of whom replied by a bow, worthy, in her opinion, of a prince of
the blood at the least,--"but I've a few necessary orders to give
below."

"Don't mind us, Ma'am," said Mr. Jackson: "ha! ha!"

"Not in the least, Ma'am," echoed Mr. Smith: "ho! ho!"

"How condescending!" thought Mrs. Wood. "Not proud in the least, I
declare. Well, I'd no idea," she continued, pursuing her ruminations as
she left the room, "that people of quality laughed so. But it's French
manners, I suppose."