Page:The Adventures of David Simple (1904).djvu/211

, and God knows what, and endeavouring to impose on her, and make her accessary to our wicked conversation with each other. Brother and sister!—it was unnatural. She did not think the world had been arrived at such a pitch of wickedness. She ran on in this manner for a great while, without giving us leave to answer her. "Valentine and I stood staring at one another, for we did not understand one word she said: at last, when she had talked herself out of breath, I begged her to explain herself, for I was really at a loss to know what she meant; if she had anything to lay to our charge, and would please to let us know what it was, we were ready to justify ourselves. Then she began again, 'Oh! undoubtedly you are very innocent people—you don't know what I mean.' "Then she launched out into a long harangue on the crying and abominable sin of incest, wrung her hands, and seemed in the greatest affliction, that ever she should live to hear a nephew and niece of hers could be such odious creatures. At last I guessed what she would insinuate; but, as I knew myself perfectly innocent, could not imagine how such a thought could come into her head. I begged her for God's sake to let me know who could have filled her ears with such a horrid story; and by degrees I got it out of her. It seems this good woman had been at my father's that afternoon, with a design of reconciling and bringing us together again: when she came in, she found Livia and her husband sitting together; after the usual compliments of civility were past, she began to mention us; told, them we were at her house, and that she was come with an intention of making up some little disputes she understood there had been between us. Livia now acted a part which perhaps she had not long intended; but I am convinced, whoever is