smiles imported that she meant to take the visit to herself. — He was persuaded withoutmuch difficulty to throw off his great coat,& drink tea with them.^"For Whether he dined at 8or 9^as, ^he observed, was a matter of very littleconsequence." — ^{and took without seeming to} He did not seem to avoid the^{seek, he did notturn away from av^oid the chair nearclose1 to} sea^t by Margaret which she was aſsiduousin providing him. — She had^^thus secured himfrom her Sisters — but it was not immediatelyin her power to preserve him from her Brother’sclaims, for as he came avowedly from London,& had left it only 4. hours ^[.]ago2, b^ack, the last cur::rent report as to public news, & the generalopinion of the day must be ^understood, enq^uired into, beforeRobert could ^let ye^ild his attention be yeildedto the leſs national, ^{or &3 important demands} more ^domestic enquiriesof the Women. — At last however he was at liber::ty to hear Margaret’s soft addreſs, as she ^spokefeared^{her fears of his having} he mus^t have had a most terrible, cold, darkdreadful Journey. — "Indeed you should not haveset out so late. —" "I could not be earlier, he replied.I was detained chatting at the ^{Horse guards} Bedford, by a friend.⁴ of Lord Osbornes — All hours are alike to me. —How long have you been in the CountryMiſs Marg^t .Margaret?" ––– " Ho We came only this very morn^g .morning – My kind Brother & Sister brought mehome this very morn^g .morning — 'Tis singular is not it?"