Hornbeck, running in great confusion to the door, had the mortification
to see the footman, with a light in his hand, enter her husband's
chamber, in order to give him notice of this accident. She knew
that she would be instantly missed, and could easily divine the
consequence, unless her invention could immediately trump up some
plausible excuse for her absence.
Women are naturally fruitful of expedients in cases of such
emergency: she employed but a few seconds in recollection, and,
rushing directly towards the apartment of the governor, who still
continued to hallo in the same note, exclaimed, in a screaming
tone, "Lord have mercy upon us! where! where!" By this time, all
the servants were assembled in strange attire: Peregrine burst into
Jolter's room, and seeing him stalking in his shirt, with his eyes
shut, bestowed such a slap upon his back, as in a moment dissolved
his dream, and restored him to the use of his senses. He was astonished
and ashamed at being discovered in such an indecent attitude; and,
taking refuge under the clothes, asked pardon of all present for
the disturbance he had occasioned; soliciting, with great humility,
the forgiveness of the lady, who, to a miracle, counterfeited the
utmost agitation of terror and surprise.
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