"I am glad you think so," said Belinda; "for I really was afraid he had
been too severe upon you."

"I only wish," continued Mrs. Freke, "I only wish his wife had been by.
Why the devil did not she make her appearance? I suppose the prude was
afraid of my demolishing and unrigging her."

"There seems to have been more danger of that for you than for any body
else," said Belinda, as she assisted to set Mrs. Freke's rigging, as she
called it, to rights.

"I do of all things delight in hauling good people's opinions out of their
musty drawers, and seeing how they look when they're all pulled to pieces
before their faces! Pray, are those Lady Anne's drawers or yours?" said
Mrs. Freke, pointing to a chest of drawers.

"Mine."

"I'm sorry for it; for if they were hers, to punish her for _shirking_ me,
by the Lord, I'd have every rag she has in the world out in the middle of
the floor in ten minutes! You don't know me--I'm a terrible person when
provoked--stop at nothing!"

As Mrs. Freke saw no other chance left of gaining her point with Belinda,
she tried what intimidating her would do.

"I stop at nothing," repeated she, fixing her eyes upon Miss Portman, to
fascinate her by terror. "Friend or foe! peace or war! Take your choice.
Come to the ball at Harrowgate, I win my bet, and I'm your sworn friend.
Stay away, I lose my bet, and am your sworn enemy."