About five o'Clock in the Afternoon, my _Lady_ arrived in her Coach. She was handed out by her Nephew, Mr. _Sandys_, and her Physician Dr. _Plumptree_; and _Gatty_ followed with the Lap-Dog. Her _Ladyship_ wore a cherry-colour Sacque and large Straw Hat; but neither the Shadow of the one nor the hue of the other could conceal how her Beauty was ruinated by her sad Complaint. She was no longer even ordinarily comely; all her fine red and white and smooth Skin lost, and her Eyes bleared and spoilt. With much Fuss we got her settled in the upper Parlour; but to say Nothing of her own two Servants, she contrived, the whole of the Time she was under our Roof, to keep _Prue_ and me continually on the Trot. Inquiry soon was made for Mr. _Caryl_; he had not appeared: my _Lady_ was disappointed; she had expected him to be the Life of the Party. By-and-by, in spite of her Shawls and Cushions, she fancied a Draught from the Window; I was summoned to cure it, and had to cobble an additional Breadth of Dimity to the Curtain as quickly as I could; while my _Lady_ stroked her Lap-Dog at the Fire, and chatted with her two Companions. "Awfully cold," says the _Doctor_. "Screaming cold," says the _Nephew_. "These inferior Houses always have thin Walls; one might think it was _January_. To-night, all _London's_ out of Town--Lady _Frances Arundel_, and Lord and Lady _Galway_ have gone ten Miles into the Country, to play Brag till five in the Morning, and then come back." "A good many will play Brag," said the _Doctor_, simpering--"the real Braggarts, I think, are those that stay behind." "Then you really _are_ afraid, _Doctor_?" says Lady _Betty_. "Well, my _Lady_, I think it would be a Tempting of Providence to incur any Risk needlessly." Just then, in came Mr. _Caryl_. "A thousand Excuses," says he. "I was coming along the _Five Fields_, when a couple of crazy old Houses tumbled down and blocked up the Way, so I was obliged to come round." "A lucky Escape for you, _Paul_," says Mr. _Sandys_, "it might have been as bad for you as an Earthquake." "Why, yes," says Mr. _Caryl_, "though not easily fluttered, it did give me a Qualm, I confess. Besides, it might have been a premonitory Quake that brought the Houses down." "My Salts, _Gatty_!" cries Lady _Betty_. "Any Casualties?" says the _Doctor_ carelessly. "To tell you the Truth," says Mr. _Caryl_, "I was so rejoiced to save my own Bones that I did not stop to inquire whether anyone else had theirs broken." And lightly laughed. "Feeling!" mutters Mr. _Sandys_. "Quack!" responds Mr. _Caryl_ softly. And then I knew them, that Moment, for the Fox and the Goose! "Whereabouts in the _Five Fields_ did it happen?" resumes the _Doctor_. "Just by that old, empty House, _Doctor_, wherein two Women were found starved to Death with Cold and Hunger, somewhere about _Christmas_."