"Heaven forgive me," said she, "if I spoke too warmly, or crossly. After his Kiss, and all! it seemed so ungracious to take it amiss. But I know too well, he only used our Wedding-day as a Blind, and if he gets into these old Ways again, he will not merely end his own Days in Jail, but send you there too. So that protest I must, if I hadn't another Breath to draw!" About Noon, Mr. _James_, one of Lady _Betty's_ laced Footmen, came to inquire after a Diamond Ring her Ladyship said _Gatty_ must have dropped on the Grass. We looked for it carefully, but could not find it. "I dare say we shall find that my _Lady_ has it at Home all the While," says Mr. _James_ (which, indeed, proved afterwards to be the Case). "However, if it should not turn up, Woe to poor Mrs. _Gatty_! She will lie under awful Blame for Heedlessness, if not be counted a Thief. And pray how is Mrs. _Gatty_ this Morning? we Servants are all concerned for her, she is so gentle and pretty-behaved, though she does keep us at a Distance! I wish to know on my own Account, I assure you, as well as to take back the News to my Lady, though she does not care much about her, except as far as her own Convenience goes." "Mrs. _Gatty_ continues very ill," said I, "and has twice been seen by a Physician, who thinks she will take some Time to recover. You may as well report this to Lady _Betty_, for the Doctor had not paid his second Visit when Mr. _Arbuthnot_ called." "Mr. _Arbuthnot_! Why should he call?" says Mr. _James_. "Lady _Betty_ would be mad enough to think he took the Trouble of knowing whether Mrs. _Gatty_ were alive or dead." "He called in order to report her Condition to Lady _Betty_" said I. "Rely on it," said Mr. _James_, "he called on his own Account, for Humanity sake, if nothing more. He hasn't been near my _Lady_ to-day, and I had it from his Man that he has gone down to dine in the Country with the old _Earl_; that's Lady _Grace's Father_. Sure, he must have named Lady _Grace_, not Lady _Betty_." There was no more to be said, and I never encourage mere Tattle; but I thought that good and pretty as _Gertrude_ was, it could be no Advantage to have a Gentleman like Mr. _Arbuthnot_ concerning himself about her. We are all mighty fond of high Matches; not considering that what is a high Match on one Side must be a low one on the other; and that there is little real Happiness to be looked for where Estates are widely unequal. I asked Mr. _James_ whether my _Lady_ were not much put out by the Loss of her Woman's Services. He replied, "Oh no, she keeps one for Shew and one for Use. Mrs. _Gatty_, for as hard a Life as she leads, does Nothing in Comparison of Madam _Pompon_, who is the real Waiting-Maid of the two. But my _Lady_ requires a second, who shall have white Hands, and do Quantities of fine Work, and be at her Beck and bear with her Humours. Why should she not require two Women to sew in her Ante-Chamber, as well as two Men to hang behind her Chariot?"