stood up, and directed her eyes to that part of the
church where the women sat, and persisted in looking
that way during the remainder of the sermon in so
scrutinizing a manner, and with so angry a countenance,
that most of the women were afraid she was offended
at them. The moment she returned home she sent
for Slipslop into her chamber, and told her she wondered
what that impudent fellow Joseph did in that parish?
Upon which Slipslop gave her an account of her meeting
Adams with him on the road, and likewise the adventure
with Fanny. At the relation of which the lady
often changed her countenance; and when she had heard
all, she ordered Mr Adams into her presence, to whom
she behaved as the reader will see in the next chapter.
CHAPTER II.
A dialogue between Mr Abraham Adams and the Lady
Booby.
Mr Adams was not far off, for he was drinking her
ladyship’s health below in a cup of her ale.
He no sooner came before her than she began in the
following manner: “I wonder, sir, after
the many great obligations you have had to this family”
(with all which the reader hath in the course of this
history been minutely acquainted), “that you
will ungratefully show any respect to a fellow who
hath been turned out of it for his misdeeds.
Nor doth it, I can tell you, sir, become a man of your
character, to run about the country with an idle fellow
and wench. Indeed, as for the girl, I know no
harm of her. Slipslop tells me she was formerly
bred up in my house, and behaved as she ought, till
she hankered after this fellow, and he spoiled her.
Nay, she may still, perhaps, do very well, if he will
let her alone. You are, therefore, doing a monstrous
thing in endeavouring to procure a match between these
two people, which will be to the ruin of them both.”—“Madam,”
said Adams, “if your ladyship will but hear
me speak, I protest I never heard any harm of Mr Joseph
Andrews; if I had, I should have corrected him for
it; for I never have, nor will, encourage the faults
of those under my care. As for the young woman,
I assure your ladyship I have as good an opinion of
her as your ladyship yourself or any other can have.
She is the sweetest-tempered, honestest, worthiest
young creature; indeed, as to her beauty, I do not
commend her on that account, though all men allow
she is the handsomest woman, gentle or simple, that
ever appeared in the parish.”—“You
are very impertinent,” says she, “to talk
such fulsome stuff to me. It is mighty becoming
truly in a clergyman to trouble himself about handsome
women, and you are a delicate judge of beauty, no
doubt. A man who hath lived all his life in such
a parish as this is a rare judge of beauty! Ridiculous!
beauty indeed! a country wench a beauty! I shall
be sick whenever I hear beauty mentioned again.
And so this wench is to stock the parish with beauties,
I hope. But, sir, our poor is numerous enough
already; I will have no more vagabonds settled here.”—“Madam,”
