ABSTRACT
MR. DELAMERE was to breakfast with the ladies by appointment; and as Miss Beauclerc had no objection to his falling very desperately in love with Rosella, though she did not mean that his sighs should be returned, she suffered her to descend to the sitting-room some time before she chose to be ready, to allow of an interesting tete-a-tete. It was common for labourers to bring their food to bakeries and cooks’ shops to be prepared and baked. Rosella now withdrew to enquire into the situation of poor Simpson, which was lamentable enough, as she found him combating a strong fit of rheumatic gout with the treacherous arms of anger and impatience: the old butler had more than once before been discomfited by the same enemy; but he had always, until this time, been consoled by the auxiliaries of kind attendance, a comfortable chamber, and a good bed.
