Memoirs Of Joseph Grimaldi

MEMOIES OF JOSEPH GKIMALDI. 41

covering Ms old friend, Mrs. Lewis, found himself confronted
and alone with Mr. Hughes's daughter.

In these cases, if the lady exMbit emotion, the gentleman
gains courage ; but Miss Hughes exMbited no emotion, merely
saying,

" "Why, Joe, I have not seen you for a fortnight; where have •
you been hiding ! How is it that I never see you at tea now f"
The tone of kindness in which tMs was said, somewhat re-
assured the lover, so he made an effort to speak, and got as far
as, " I'm not well."

" Not well!" said the young lady. And she said it so kindly
that all poor Joe's emotion returned; and being really ill and
weak, and very sensitive withal, he made an effort or two to
look cheerful, and burst into tears.

The young lady looked at him,for a moment or two quite
surprised, and then said, in a tone of earnest commiseration,
"I see that you are not well, and that you are very much
• changed: what is the matter with you ? Pray tell me."

At this inguiry, the young man, who seems to have inherited
all the sensitiveness of Ms father's character withmit its worst
points, threw himself into a chair, and cried like a child, vainly
endeavouring to stammer out a few words, which were wholly
unintelligible. Miss Hughes gently endeavoured to soothe him,
and at tha,t moment, Mrs. Lewis, suddenly entering the room,
surprised them in this very sentimental situation; upon wMch
G-rimaldi, thinking he must have made himself very ridiculous,
jumped xip and ran away.

Mrs. Lewis being older in years, and in such matters too, than
either Miss Hughes or her devoted admirer, kept her own
counsel, thought over what she had seen, and discreetly pre-
sented herself before Qrimaldi next day, when, after a sleepless
night, he was sauntering moodily about the garden, aggravating
all the doubts, and diminisMng all the hopes that involved
themselves with the object nearest Ms heart.e, with other like deductions which young men areneatly turned