She even fell sick upon the
occasion, and prevailed with Matt to interpose in her behalf with
his friend; but the Doctor, being a shy cock, would not be caught
with chaff, and flatly rejected the proposal: so that Mrs Tabitha
was content to exert her patience once more, after having
endeavoured in vain to effect a rupture betwixt the two friends;
and now she thinks proper to be very civil to Lewis, who is
become necessary to her in the way of his profession.
These, however, are not the only efforts she has made towards a
nearer conjunction with our sex. Her fortune was originally no
more than a thousand pounds; but she gained an accession of five
hundred by the death of a sister, and the lieutenant left her
three hundred in his will. These sums she has more than doubled,
by living free of all expence, in her brother's house; and
dealing in cheese and Welsh flannel, the produce of his flocks
and dairy. At present her capital is increased to about four
thousand pounds; and her avarice seems to grow every day more and
more rapacious: but even this is not so intolerable as the
perverseness of her nature, which keeps the whole family in
disquiet and uproar.
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