But I could not long remain in such a
house as that, without being an eye-witness of more than I
could conceive from her descriptions.
One day, about twelve at noon, being thoroughly re-
cover'd of my fever, I happen'd to be in Mrs. Brown's dark
closet, where I had not been half an hour, resting upon the
maid's settle-bed, before I heard a rustling in the bed-
chamber, separated from the closet only by two sash-doors,
before the glasses of which were drawn two yellow damask
curtains, but not so close as to exclude the full view of
the room form any person in the closet.
I instantly crept softly, and posted myself so, that
seeing every thing minutely, I could not myself be seen;
and who should come in but the venerable mother Abbess
herself! handed in by a tall, brawny young Horse-grenadier,
moulded in the Hercules style: in fine, the choice of the
most experienced dame, in those affairs, in all London.
Oh! how still and hush did I keep at my stand, lest
any noise should baulk my curiosity, of bring Madam into
the closet!
But I had not much reason to fear either, for she was
so entirely taken up with her present great concern, that
she had no sense of attention to spare to any thing else.
Droll was it to see that clumsy fat figure of hers flop
down on the foot of the bed, opposite to the closet-door, so
that I had a full front-view of all her charms.
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