My master and I obtain our knowledge from the same source;--though, gad! I think myself much the prettier fellow of the two. [Surveying himself in the glass.] That was a brilliant thought, to insinuate that I folded my master's letters for him; the folding is so neat, that it does honour to the operator. I once intended to have insinuated that I wrote his letters too; but that was before I saw them; it won't do now; no honour there, positively.--"Nothing looks more vulgar, [reading affectedly] ordinary, and illiberal than ugly, uneven, and ragged nails; the ends of which should be kept even and clean, not tipped with black, and cut in small segments of circles."--Segments of circles! surely my lord did not consider that he wrote for the beaux. Segments of circles; what a crabbed term! Now I dare answer that my master, with all his learning, does not know that this means, according to the present mode, let the nails grow long, and then cut them off even at top. [Laughing without.] Ha! that's Jenny's titter. I protest I despair of ever teaching that girl to laugh; she has something so execrably natural in her laugh, that I declare it absolutely discomposes my nerves. How came she into our house! [Calls.] Jenny! Enter JENNY. JESSAMY Prythee, Jenny, don't spoil your fine face with laughing. JENNY Why, mustn't I laugh, Mr. Jessamy? JESSAMY You may smile, but, as my lord says, nothing can authorise a laugh. JENNY Well, but I can't help laughing.--Have you seen him, Mr. Jessamy? ha, ha, ha! JESSAMY Seen whom? JENNY Why, Jonathan, the New England colonel's servant. Do you know he was at the play last night, and the stupid creature don't know where he has been. He would not go to a play for the world; he thinks it was a show, as he calls it. JESSAMY As ignorant and unpolished as he is, do you know, Miss Jenny, that I propose to introduce him to the honour of your acquaintance? JENNY Introduce him to me! for what? JESSAMY Why, my lovely girl, that you may take him under your protection, as Madame Ramboulliet did young Stanhope; that you may, by your plastic hand, mould this uncouth cub into a gentleman. He is to make love to you. JENNY Make love to me!-- JESSAMY Yes, Mistress Jenny, make love to you; and, I doubt not, when he shall become domesticated in your kitchen, that this boor, under your auspices, will soon become un amiable petit Jonathan. JENNY I must say, Mr. Jessamy, if he copies after me, he will be vastly, monstrously polite. JESSAMY Stay here one moment, and I will call him.--Jonathan!--Mr. Jonathan!--[Calls.] JONATHAN [within] Holla! there.--[Enters.] You promise to stand by me--six bows you say. [Bows.] JESSAMY Mrs. Jenny, I have the honour of presenting Mr. Jonathan, Colonel Manly's waiter, to you. I am extremely happy that I have it in my power to make two worthy people acquainted with each other's merits. JENNY So, Mr. Jonathan, I hear you were at the play last night.