These, and other similar ties, perhaps, had my spirits been
better, I might less readily have acceded to : as it was, I would
have bound myself to as many more.

At length, however, even then, I was startled when Mr. Smelt,
with some earnestness, said, "And, with respect to your parties,
such as you may occasionally have here, you have but one rule for
keeping all things smooth, and all partisans unoffended, at a
distance--which is, to have no men--none!

I stared a little, and made no answer.

"Yes," cried he, "Mr. Locke may be admitted; but him only. Your
father, you know, is of course."

Still I was silent: after a pause of some length, he plumply Yet
with an evidently affected unmeaningness, said, "Mr. Cambridge--
as to Mr. Cambridge--"

I stopped him short at once; I dared not trust to what

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might follow, and eagerly called Out, "Mr. Cambridge, Sir, I
cannot exclude! So much friendship and kindness I owe, and have
long owed him, that he would go about howling at my ingratitude,
could I seem so suddenly to forget it!"

My impetuosity in uttering this surprised, but silenced him; he
said not a word more, nor did I.