Here Mr. Sirloin was interrupted by the sudden entrance of the wife of his bosom, who was followed by Miss Sirloin, as I soon found her to be.—The slayer of oxen was at once astonished and intimidated on seeing his wife; Mr. Sirloin, says the lady, on her entrance, I am surprized at your impolitic behaviour. I have heard every word you have said, and any one would imagine you had no more sense that the _beasts_ you kill, to tell a gentleman the circumstances of your family in the manner you have, Mr. Sirloin is a monstrous thing.—Mr. Sirloin declared he had said nothing but the truth, and added that listeners seldom heard any good of themselves. Mrs. Sirloin returned, that he was a poor mean spirited wretch, and had not a grain of ambition in him. Mr. Sirloin replied, he believed it might be better, if some folks had less, and for his part he did not see what business people in his sphere had to do with ambition; for, says he, they are generally getting into some scrape or another. Miss, during the altercation betwixt her _Papa and Mama_, had drawn near the captain, who took very little notice of her: Mrs. Sirloin now addressed herself to the captain, and told him, she hoped he would excuse Mr. Sirloin’s want of politeness, and assured him, that though it was true, her daughter was not the largest fortune in the parish, neither was she the least, adding, that as Suky was their only child, she would be entitled to every farthing that would be left on their deaths, and which she durst say would _amount to near a hundred pound_. To be sure, continues she, if Mr. Sirloin was but a pushing man, he might be able to leave her many hundreds. Mr. Sirloin said, he understood the captain was in love with Susan, and said he should think with that and the thousand pound he had, they might live very happy. The captain replied, that it was true, he had a great regard for Miss Sirloin, and that his fortune was about a thousand pound; but that as he was of one of the best families in Dorsetshire, it wou’d be a disgrace to it to marry into Mr. Sirloin’s family, unless it was made up by a fortune; and that he had been told Miss Sirloin wou’d be worth a thousand pound, and which by her dress, and the company she kept, he thought could be no less. Mr. Sirloin declared, that whoever said he cou’d give his daughter a thousand pound was a _scandalous person_; as for her dress and company, do you, speaking to his wife, answer for that.