"Ha!" said he, as we passed through the Parlour, which happened to be vacant, "what a pleasant Evening we had in this Room last Night, and how funnily it ended!—Pray, Ma'am, has the Gentleman yet found his five Senses?"
And I saw he was brimful of Mirth, that was ready to explode at the merest Word.
"Sir," said I, "allow me to say that you did not know where the Gift of that Speech lay last Night. My Father had presented my Mother with a Group of Porcelain Figures, representing the Five Senses, which she, in her Care for them, had put away."
"Was that all?" cried he, his Countenance immediately changing. "Oh, I see!—aye, aye—How absurd my Blunder was! Upon my Word, Ma'am, I beg your Pardon for having been so unmannerly. Shocking! shameful!"
Here we came upon Mr. Fenwick, who finding himself exposed to a chill Current of Air under the Elms, had got under the Shelter of the House, where my Father had set up a pretty enough rustical Seat, just outside of our Dairy Wire-Lattice. Hence it came to pass that I, being presently engaged in seeing the Afternoon Milk brought in, heard a good deal of what passed between the two Gentlemen, whether I would or no.
"I've secured Dodsley's Ear," says Mr. Caryl, cheerfully, "so that I fancy I have but to speak a Word to secure your Piece a Place in his Collection. Nothing remains to be done but for you to attend to a little Revision in the first Place, before you submit it to his critical Eye. What say you?"
"Say? That I am infinitely obliged."
"'Let my future Life,' &c.—hey? We'll suppose that all spoken. Well, here is your Manuscript; I've just scored through what I think had better be altered and left out. You are not doubtful of my Judgment, I suppose?"
"Surely not—Just allow me to see."—
"Look here,—and here—those had better come out. Here again.... What's 'Phœbus' Mane?'"