The proprietor, as to have a right to
do the honours of it; - so I desired the lady to sit down, - pressed
her into the warmest seat, - called for more wood, - desired the
hostess to enlarge the plan of the supper, and to favour us with
the very best wine.
The lady had scarce warm'd herself five minutes at the fire, before
she began to turn her head back, and give a look at the beds; and
the oftener she cast her eyes that way, the more they return'd
perplexd; - I felt for her - and for myself: for in a few minutes,
what by her looks, and the case itself, I found myself as much
embarrassed as it was possible the lady could be herself.
That the beds we were to lie in were in one and the same room, was
enough simply by itself to have excited all this; - but the position
of them, for they stood parallel, and so very close to each other
as only to allow space for a small wicker chair betwixt them,
rendered the affair still more oppressive to us; - they were fixed
up moreover near the fire; and the projection of the chimney on one
side, and a large beam which cross'd the room on the other, formed
a kind of recess for them that was no way favourable to the nicety
of our sensations:
