You would have been charmed with me, my dear, for my discretion. I will
cheat by-standers, thought I; I will make my Lord and Lady L----, Dr.
Bartlett, and Emily, whom I had before set in at cards, think we are
egregiously happy--And down I sat, intending, with a lamb-like
peaceableness, to make observations on the play. But soon after, in
whipt my indiscreet lord, his colour heightened, his features working:
and though I cautioned him not to expose himself, yet he assumed airs
that were the occasion, as you shall hear, of frightening away my
company. He withdrew, in consequence of those airs; and, after a little
while, (repenting, as I hoped,) he sent for me out. Some wives would
have played the queen Vashti on their tyrant, and refused to go: but I,
all obedience, (my vow, so recently made, in my head,) obeyed, at the
very first word: yet you must think that I (meek as I am naturally) could
not help recriminating. He was too lordly to be expostulated with.--
There was, 'I tell you, madam,' and 'I won't be told, sir;' and when I
broke from the passionate creature, and hoped to find my company, behold!
they were all gone! None but Emily left. And thus might poor Lady L----
be sent home, weeping, perhaps, for such an early marriage-tyranny
exerted on her meek sister.
Well, and don't you think that we looked like a couple of fools at each
other, when we saw ourselves left alone, as I may say, to fight it out?
I did expostulate with him as mildly as I could: he would have made it up
with me afterwards; but, no! there was no doing that, as a girl of your
nice notions may believe, after he had, by his violent airs, exposed us
both before so many witnesses.
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