He no
sooner recognized the kind Sophy, than he accosted her with his
wonted civility and friendship; but his former sprightly air was
metamorphosed into such austerity, or rather dejection of feature,
that she could scarce believe her own eyes, and, in her astonishment,
"Is it possible," said she, "that the gay Mr. Pickle should be
so much altered in such a short space of time!" He made no other
reply to this exclamation, but by a languid smile; and asked how
long she had been in town; observing, that he would have paid his
compliments to her at her own lodgings, had he been favoured with
the least intimation of her arrival. After having thanked him for
his politeness, she told him, it was not owing to any abatement
of her friendship and esteem for him, that she had omitted to give
him that notice; but his abrupt departure from Windsor, and the
manner in which he quitted Mr. Gauntlet, had given her just grounds
to believe that they had incurred his displeasure; which suspicion
was reinforced by his long silence and neglect from that period
to the present time.
Pages:
1192
1193
1194
1195
1196
1197
1198
1199
1200
1201
1202
1203
1204
1205
1206
1207
1208
1209
1210
1211
1212
1213
1214
1215
1216