Page:The Adventures of David Simple (1904).djvu/194

 soul; whatever thing I wanted, was too much for me; and though I denied myself everything but the bare necessaries of life, yet all expense of the family was imputed to me and my brother. All the servants in the house finding it their interest to be as disobliging as they could to us, took care not to be too officious in serving us. Such mercenary wretches were below my notice ; but yet their behaviour was shocking to me, as it was one of the proofs of the decay of my father's love."

David here interrupted her, by saying that she was very much in the right, for there was nothing so strong a proof that the master of a house has no regard for us, as the constant misbehaviour of his servants towards us; he had had the melancholy experience of it; but he thought she was mistaken in thinking any station could made people below her notice; for as to him, there was nothing in life he attended to more earnestly than the behaviour of those men, whose want of education shewed more openly, and with less disguise, what their natures were; indeed, hitherto his observations of that kind had given but a melancholy prospect. His eyes expressed so much sorrow, as he spoke this, and his mind appeared so affected, that Camilla gave him a thousand thanks for the good-natured part he took in her afflictions, and said she would now take leave of him, it being late, and to-morrow would resume her story.