When Lismahago took his leave for the night, she
asked her brother if the captain was not the prettiest gentleman
he had ever seen; and whether there was not something wonderfully
engaging in his aspect? -- Mr Bramble having eyed her sometime in
silence, 'Sister (said he), the lieutenant is, for aught I know,
an honest man and a good officer -- he has a considerable share of
understanding, and a title to more encouragement than he seems to
have met with in life; but I cannot, with a safe conscience,
affirm, that he is the prettiest gentleman I ever saw; neither
can I descern any engaging charm in his countenance, which, I vow
to God, is, on the contrary, very hard-favoured and forbidding.'
I have endeavoured to ingratiate myself with this North-Briton,
who is really a curiosity; but he has been very shy of my
conversation ever since I laughed at his asserting that the
English tongue was spoke with more propriety at Edinburgh than at
London. Looking at me with a double squeeze of souring in his
aspect, 'If the old definition be true (said he), that risibility
is the distinguishing characteristic of a rational creature, the
English are the most distinguished for rationality of any people
I ever knew.
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