I begin to think it was really yours! Now, was it not, Mrs. Thrale?"
Mrs. Thrale only laughed.
"A lady of our acquaintance," said Miss Palmer, "Mrs. Cholmondeley, went herself to the printer, but he would not tell."
"Would he not?" cried Mrs. Thrale, "why, then, he"s an honest man."
"Oh, is he so?--nay, then, it is certainly Mrs. Thrale"s."
"Well, well, I told you before I should not deny it."
"Miss Burney," said she, "pray do you deny it?" in a voice that seemed to say,--I must ask round, though rather from civility than suspicion.
"Me?" cried I, "well no: if n.o.body else will deny it, why should I? It does not seem the fashion to deny it."
"No, in truth," cried she; "I believe n.o.body would think of denying it that could claim it, for it is the sweetest book in the world. My uncle could not go to bed till he had finished it, and he says he is sure he shall make love to the author, if ever he meets with her, and it should really be a woman!"
"Dear madam," cried Miss Offy, "I am sure it was you but why will you not own it at once?"
"I shall neither own nor deny anything about it."
"A gentleman whom we know very well," said Miss Palmer, "when he could learn nothing at the printer"s, took the trouble to go all about Snow Hill, to see if he could find any silversmith"s."
"Well, he was a cunning creature!" said Mrs. Thrale; "but Dr. Johnson"s favourite is Mr. Smith."
"So he is of everybody," answered she: "he and all that family; everybody says such a family never was drawn before. But Mrs.
Cholmondeley"s favourite is Madame Duval; she acts her from morning to night, and ma-foi"s everybody she sees. But though we all want so much to know the author, both Mrs. Cholmondeley and my uncle himself say they should be frightened to death to be in her company, because she must be such a very nice observer, that there would be no escaping her with safety."
What strange ideas are taken from mere book-reading! But what follows gave me the highest delight I can feel.
"Mr. Burke,"[60] she continued, "doats on it: he began it one morning at seven o"clock, and could not leave it a moment; he sat up all night reading it. He says he has not seen such a book he can"t tell when."
Mrs. Thrale gave me involuntarily a look of congratulation, and could not forbear exclaiming, "How glad she was Mr. Burke approved it!" This served to confirm the Palmers in their mistake, and they now, without further questioning, quietly and unaffectedly concluded the book to be really Mrs. Thrale"s and Miss Palmer said,--"Indeed, ma"am, you ought to write a novel every year: n.o.body can write like you!"
I was both delighted and diverted at this mistake, and they grew so easy and so satisfied under it, that the conversation dropped, and off we went to the harpsichord.
Not long after, the party broke up, and they took leave. I had no conversation with Sir Joshua all day; but I found myself more an object of attention to him than I wished; and he several times spoke to me, though he did not make love!
When they rose to take leave, Miss Palmer, with the air of asking the greatest of favours, hoped to see me when I returned to town; and Sir Joshua, approaching me with the most profound respect, inquired how long I should remain at Streatham? A week, I believed: and then he hoped, when I left it, they should have the honour of seeing me in Leicester Square.[61]
In short, the joke is, the people speak as if they were afraid of me, instead of my being afraid of them. It seems, when they got to the door, Miss Palmer said to Mrs. Thrale,
"Ma"am, so it"s Miss Burney after all!"
"Ay, sure," answered she, "who should it be?"
"Ah! why did not you tell us sooner?" said Offy, "that we might have had a little talk about it?"
Here, therefore, end all my hopes of secrecy!
THE MEMBERS OF DR. JOHNSON"S HOUSEHOLD.
At tea-time the subject turned upon the domestic economy of Dr.
Johnson"s household. Mrs. Thrale has often acquainted me that his house is quite filled and overrun with all sorts of strange creatures, whom he admits for mere charity, and because n.o.body else will admit them,--for his charity is unbounded; or, rather, bounded only by his circ.u.mstances.
The account he gave of the adventures and absurdities of the set, was highly diverting, but too diffused for writing--though one or two speeches I must give. I think I shall occasionally theatricalise my dialogues.
Mrs. Thrale--Pray, Sir, how does Mrs. Williams like all this tribe?
Johnson--Madam, she does not like them at all: but their fondness for her is not greater. She and De Mullin[62] quarrel incessantly; but as they can both be occasionally of service to each other, and as neither of them have a place to go to, their animosity does not force them to separate.
Mrs. T.--And pray, sir, what is Mr. Macbean?[63]
Dr. J.--Madam, he is a Scotchman: he is a man of great learning, and for his learning I respect him, and I wish to serve him. He knows many languages, and knows them well; but he knows nothing of life. I advised him to write a geographical dictionary; but I have lost all hopes of his doing anything properly, since I found he gave as much labour to Capua as to Rome.
Mr. T.--And pray who is clerk of your kitchen, sir?
Dr. J.--Why, sir, I am afraid there is none; a general anarchy prevails in my kitchen, as I am told by Mr. Levat,[64] who says it is not now what it used to be!
Mrs. T.--Mr. Levat, I suppose, sir, has the office of keeping the hospital in health? for he is an apothecary.
Dr. J.--Levat, madam, is a brutal fellow, but I have a good regard for him; for his brutality is in his manners, not his mind.
Mr. T.--But how do you get your dinners drest?
Dr. J.--Why De Mullin has the chief management of the kitchen; but our roasting is not magnificent, for we have no jack.
Mr. T.--No jack? Why, how do they manage without?
Dr. J.--Small joints, I believe, they manage with a string, larger are done at the tavern. I have some thoughts (with profound gravity) of buying a jack, because I think a jack is some credit to a house.
Mr. T.--Well, but you"ll have a spit, too?
Dr. J.--No, sir, no; that would be superfluous; for we shall never use it; and if a jack is seen, a spit will be presumed!
Mrs. T.--But pray, sir, who is the Poll you talk of? She that you used to abet in her quarrels with Mrs. Williams, and call out, "At her again, Poll! Never flinch, Poll."[65]
Dr. J.--Why, I took to Poll very well at first, but she won"t do upon a nearer examination.
Mrs. T.--How came she among you, sir?
Dr. J.--Why I don"t rightly remember, but we could spare her very well from us. Poll is a stupid s.l.u.t; I had some hopes of her at first; but when I talked to her tightly and closely, I could make nothing of her; she was wiggle waggle, and I could never persuade her to be categorical, I wish Miss Burney would come among us; if she would only give _us_ a week, we should furnish her with ample materials for a new scene in her next work.