seriousness of my application. If it were so, I cannot condemn
him; for recollection of thee occupied me so entirely during an
hour's reading, that although Stair lay before me, and
notwithstanding that I turned over three or four pages, the sense
of his lordship's clear and perspicuous style so far escaped me,
that I had the mortification to find my labour was utterly in
vain.

Ere I had brought up my lee-way, James appeared with his summons
to our frugal supper--radishes, cheese, and a bottle of the old
ale-only two plates though--and no chair set for Mr. Darsie, by
the attentive James Wilkinson. Said James, with his long face,
lank hair, and very long pig-tail in its leathern strap, was
placed, as usual, at the back of my father's chair, upright as a
wooden sentinel at the door of a puppet-show. 'You may go down,
James,' said my father; and exit Wilkinson.--What is to come
next? thought I; for the weather is not clear on the paternal
brow.

My boots encountered his first glance of displeasure, and he
asked me, with a sneer, which way I had been riding. He expected
me to answer, 'Nowhere,' and would then have been at me with his
usual sarcasm, touching the humour of walking in shoes at twenty
shillings a pair. But I answered with composure, that I had
ridden out to dinner as far as Noble House. He started (you know
his way) as if I had said that I had dined at Jericho; and as I
did not choose to seem to observe his surprise, but continued
munching my radishes in tranquillity, he broke forth in ire.

'To Noble House, sir! and what had you to do at Noble House, sir?