Well, said Mr. Perry, very kindly and politely, excellent as your lady

is, I know not the gentleman that could deserve her, but that one who

could say such just and such fine things.

I was all abashed; and took Miss Darnford's hand, and said, Save me,

dear miss, by your sweet example, from my rising pride. But could I

deserve half these kind things, what a happy creature should I be! said

Miss Darnford, You deserve them all, indeed you do.

The greatest part of the company having sat down to loo, my master being

pressed, said he would take one game at whist; but had rather be excused

too, having been up all night: and I asked how his friend did? We'll

Advertisement..

talk of that, said he, another time; which, and his seriousness, made me

fear the poor gentleman was dead, as it proved.

We cast in, and Miss Boroughs and my master were together, and Mr. Perry

and I; and I had all four honours the first time, and we were up at

one deal. Said my master, An honourable hand, Pamela, should go with an

honourable heart; but you'd not have been up, if a knave had not been

one. Whist, sir, said Mr. Perry, you know, was a court game originally;

and the knave, I suppose, signified always the prime minister.

'Tis well, said my master, if now there is but one knave in a court, out

of four persons, take the court through.

The king and queen, sir, said Mr. Perry, can do no wrong, you know. So

there are two that must be good out of four; and the ace seems too plain

a card to mean much hurt.

We compliment the king, said my master, in that manner; and 'tis well to

do so, because there is something sacred in the character. But yet, if

force of example be considered, it is going a great way; for certainly a

good master makes a good servant, generally speaking.

One thing, added he, I will say, in regard to the ace: I have always

looked upon that plain and honest looking card in the light you do: and

have considered whist as an English game in its original; which has made

me fonder of it than of any other. For by the ace I have always thought

the laws of the land denoted; and as the ace is above the king or queen,

and wins them, I think the law should be thought so too; though, may be,

I shall be deemed a Whig for my opinion. I

shall never play whist, said Mr. Perry, without thinking of this,

and shall love the game the better for the thought; though I am no

party-man. Nor I, said my master; for I think the distinctions of whig

and tory odious; and love the one or the other only as they are honest

and worthy men; and have never (nor never shall, hope) given a vote, but

according to what I thought was for the public good, let either whig or

tory propose it. I wish, sir, replied Mr. Perry, all gentlemen in your station would act

so. If there was no undue influence, said my master, I am willing to

think so well of all mankind, that I believe they generally would.




Most Popular