I now thought that I had Lady Anne's ear to myself; but she ran on to
something else, and I was forced to follow as she skimmed over fields of
nonsense. At last she did stop to take breath, and I did get in my one
question: to which her ladyship replied, "Poor Fowler frighten me? Lord!
No. Like her? oh! yes--dote upon Fowler! didn't you?--No, you hated her, I
remember. Well, but I assure you she's the best creature in the world; I
could always make her do just what I pleased. Positively, I must make you
make it up with her, if I can remember it, when she comes up to town--she
is to come up for my birthday. Mamma, you know, generally leaves her at the
Priory, to take care of all the old trumpery, and show the place--you know
it's a _show place_. But I tell Colonel Topham, when I've a place of my
own, I positively will have it modern, and all the furniture in the very
newest style. I'm so sick of old reliques! Natural, you know, when _I have
been having_ a surfeit all my life of old beds and chairs, and John of
Gaunt and the Black Prince. But the Black Prince, I remember, was always a
vast favourite of yours. Well, but poor Fowler, you must like her, too--I
assure you she always speaks with tenderness of you; she is really the best
old soul! for she's growing oldish, but so faithful, and so sincere too.
Only flatters mamma sometimes so, I can hardly help laughing in her face;
but then you know mamma, and old ladies, when they come to that pass, must
be flattered to keep them up--'tis but charitable--really right. Poor
Fowler's daughter is to be my maid."

"I did not know Fowler had a daughter, and a daughter grown up."

"Nancy Fowler! not know! Oh! yes, quite grown up, fit to be married--only a
year younger than I am. And there's our old apothecary in the country has
taken such a fancy to her! But he's too old and _wiggy_--but it would make
a sort of lady of her, and her mother will have it so--but she sha'n't--