Well, said Mr. Perry, very kindly and politely, excellent as your lady
is, I know not the gentleman that could deserve her, but that one who
could say such just and such fine things.
I was all abashed; and took Miss Darnford's hand, and said, Save me,
dear miss, by your sweet example, from my rising pride. But could I
deserve half these kind things, what a happy creature should I be! said
Miss Darnford, You deserve them all, indeed you do.
The greatest part of the company having sat down to loo, my master being
pressed, said he would take one game at whist; but had rather be excused
too, having been up all night: and I asked how his friend did? We'll
talk of that, said he, another time; which, and his seriousness, made me
fear the poor gentleman was dead, as it proved.
We cast in, and Miss Boroughs and my master were together, and Mr. Perry
and I; and I had all four honours the first time, and we were up at
one deal. Said my master, An honourable hand, Pamela, should go with an
honourable heart; but you'd not have been up, if a knave had not been
one. Whist, sir, said Mr. Perry, you know, was a court game originally;
and the knave, I suppose, signified always the prime minister.
'Tis well, said my master, if now there is but one knave in a court, out
of four persons, take the court through.
The king and queen, sir, said Mr. Perry, can do no wrong, you know. So
there are two that must be good out of four; and the ace seems too plain
a card to mean much hurt.
We compliment the king, said my master, in that manner; and 'tis well to
do so, because there is something sacred in the character. But yet, if
force of example be considered, it is going a great way; for certainly a
good master makes a good servant, generally speaking.
One thing, added he, I will say, in regard to the ace: I have always
looked upon that plain and honest looking card in the light you do: and
have considered whist as an English game in its original; which has made
me fonder of it than of any other. For by the ace I have always thought
the laws of the land denoted; and as the ace is above the king or queen,
and wins them, I think the law should be thought so too; though, may be,
I shall be deemed a Whig for my opinion. I
shall never play whist, said Mr. Perry, without thinking of this,
and shall love the game the better for the thought; though I am no
party-man. Nor I, said my master; for I think the distinctions of whig
and tory odious; and love the one or the other only as they are honest
and worthy men; and have never (nor never shall, hope) given a vote, but
according to what I thought was for the public good, let either whig or
tory propose it. I wish, sir, replied Mr. Perry, all gentlemen in your station would act
so. If there was no undue influence, said my master, I am willing to
think so well of all mankind, that I believe they generally would.