Perchance may be consider'd a mere Yuletide pleasantry

O, 'tis most exceeding delightfull to be in my fine reserv’d chamber at R- House and have my dear ones come to me in the night. We are perchance a little sober as we go renew the vows we may only make to one another in private, but sure once we are in triangle, there cannot be any heavyness of mood for long.

And in the morn the dear children go sing carols at the door when they bring the chocolate for my levée.

Why, says I, 'tis the waits come calling.

They all quite tumble in, and my lovely Flora comes sit at my side, and Quintus and Josh brangle a little over which should sit at 'tother, and I see that Bess and Meg seem quite entire reconcil’d after their little dissension yestre’en, and Harry stands, looking a little awkward - sure he is come to a time of life when he is no longer a child and may feel a little unease at finding himself in a lady’s bedchamber.

Harry, says I, do you look into that little box over by the wall, there are a few little gifts that you might distribute.

These are receiv’d with most effusive gratitude.

My dear precious jewel snuggles against me, and desires to give me kisses, o, 'tis quite the sweetest thing, I love her so exceedingly.

But in due course Bess minds that I may desire to get up and dress and breakfast, and says she will take 'em down to the parlour. Flora shows a little fractious at this proposal, until Harry picks her up and sets her pickaback upon his shoulders, which she likes extremely.

Indeed I am most exceeding happy that she has such excellent brothers and sisters. I know not why I should feel so tearfull.

Williams comes help me dress, for which I convey her a suitable compliment. She asks do I have any news of how Lady J- does: I tell her all the better of a visit from the Admiral, comes about to recover (the Admiral lookt in to convey me this intelligence on his return from Harrogate, but the Admiralty were exceeding pressing that he should return post-haste to his flag-ship, so alas our time was short).

She sighs and says sure one never expect’d such a thing to come to Lady J-. She remembers how she was ever exhorting the late Duchess to rest and be carefull when she was increasing.

I sigh too, for sure I remember Duchess Kitty very fondly. And I also am like to think that she would be entire happy to know that her dear boy Biffle has ceas’d to mourn and goes be exceeding happy with Little V-.

I go down to the parlour, where Quintus goes play some game with the chessmen with Flora, Harry is in deep converse with Josiah, for I daresay there is a deal to tell about how he gets on at Leeds, and the girls go play fox and geese. Josh I daresay is about seeing to matters in his menagerie. My very best darling Eliza sits idle for once, with Mittens purring very content upon her knee.

There is a nice little breakfast brought for me: sure I am a shamefull slugabed, says I. My darling looks at me and her lips twitch a little in a laugh she does not let out.

Mittens gives me to understand that this is a cruel harsh household where they go starve cats; but she observes that I have far more food there than I can eat, sure I could spare some, could I not?

Eliza laughs and says sure we are shocking tyrants.

Indeed, Dandy and Pounce have quite the same complaint to make of my household!

O, I go on, that was a very fine breakfast. I hope you have not been tiring yourself about kitchen matters.

No, says Eliza, Seraphine goes see how Arabella shapes does she leave the kitchens here in her hand while she goes to A-.

Why, says I, she looks to be shaping well, then.

Miss N- and Mr L- come into the parlour and tell us that the Christmas rose in the conservatory goes bloom. The girls jump up to go look and take Flora with 'em. Mr L- comes sit beside me and says he still hopes to be able to publish something from Lady B-'s pen. Also, Miss N- has told him a deal about the pretty little tales I tell the children, and sure there is ever a market for such things.

Why, says I, I will consider over the matter.

He says that he knows how exceeding busy Lady B- is with her numerous good causes &C.

(Sure he does not know the half.)

Come back into the room the girls, and Flora desires take me to see the Christmas rose, which I concede to, the darling.

Sure my dearest Eliza cannot be prevent’d from going into the kitchens to be about preparing the Christmas dinner – Josiah and I go sigh at one another, and remark that she will be quite exhaust’d, but what can one do when the bit is between her teeth? And we both quite know that 'twould not be our darling did she not do thus.

Harry comes ask me about how matters go with my lead-mine, 'tis very civil of him.

In due course Sandy arrives, along with Mr McN- that has been invit’d, for he is a single fellow with a distant family. I do not think he expects a marchioness to be found sitting upon the floor, telling Flora and Quintus – and the others listen, even do they purport to be playing the game of goose – little tales about the ivory elephants, and what goes happen when they encounter the chessmen.

I rise to my feet to greet them, but Flora most immediate tugs at my skirt and wants more story.

Josh bounds up to them, greets them in what I surmize to be Latin, and in the same tongue goes introduce Harry, that Mr McN- has not previous met. Harry goes ruffle Josh’s hair and says, little show-off, very proud.

Sandy asks Harry does he keep up his classickal studies, to which he replies alas no, for he goes learn a deal about matters for which he is like to think there are no Latin or Greek words.

Mr McN- sighs a little. I fancy he is one that, like Lady J-, finds pleasure in the study of antique tongues. I ask does he ever attend the very fascinating conversaziones of the antiquarians. He sighs somewhat more and says he apprehends that they have a most exceeding fine library but only the Fellows may use it.

Flora goes tug again at my skirt, and I look down at her. More elephants! she orders.

We ask nicely and say please, says Quintus, somewhat severe.

Please? asks Flora with a winning smile. Sure I am wrappt around her little finger, so I sit once more beside her on the floor, and tell her a new story of the elephants.

Sandy murmurs, sure, Lady B-, you should write a novel: and I confide that under provockation I can contrive a dour Calvinistickal glare to match any of his.

Meg goes to the piano and plays a little: Flora and Quintus get up and dance, 'tis quite entire charming.

Bess goes ask Mr McN- whether ladies can study the classicks: indeed so, he says, there have been those such as Mrs Carter that are most exceeding not’d as classickal scholars. 'Tis not a matter of the inaptitude of their sex, 'tis more that parents cannot see the utility of teaching the subjects to girls.

I remark that Lady J- - sure he will have heard of Lady J- that is the sister of the Duke of M-, most romantick marry’d Admiral K-? – is consider’d an exceeding fine classickal scholar, but I apprehend that she was school’d in the subject by a great-uncle -

O, says Mr McN-, indeed I think I have heard of him: correspond’d with Mrs Carter, had a most exceeding fine library –

Which Lady J- has inherit’d, says Sandy.

Mr McN- looks very longing at the thought.

Comes Eliza somewhat flusht and says that dinner will be on the table exceeding shortly.

Josiah says let us not stand upon ceremony and orders of precedence, but go in and sit as we will.

There is a little brangling among the children over who shall sit next to me – 'tis most entire charming – but in the end Flora sits 'twixt Josiah and myself, with Josh at my other side.

Sure 'tis a most exceeding fine feast - tho’ I would not expect anything else has my darling been at work in the kitchen – and we all eat extreme hearty. My precious child shows a little fractious when she is prevent’d from reaching out to the pretty flames of the snapdragon, but indeed, we should not like her dear chubby little fingers to be burnt.

Afterwards we are all somewhat languid. Meg plays a little more for us, Bess very dutyfull goes play with Flora and Quintus, Josh sits with Mittens upon his knee, and the gentlemen go talk together. Eliza and I look at one another and smile.

When the younger ones have been despatcht to bed, not without a certain amount of protest, my darling’s famous punch is serv’d and I am besought to recount a ghost story.

After Sandy and Mr McN- have taken their leave, and Harry, Bess, and Meg have gone yawning to bed, my darlings and I look around at one another, too content’d where we are to go move yet.

At length we rise, and my dear ones go trap me under the kissing bunch. Sure we are all a little tipsy.

As we leave hold of one another, and I start towards the stairs, comes down Harry, saying that he thinks his pocket-knife fell from his pocket and he did not want to leave it where the little ones might pick it up and cut themselves.

We all go look for it, and 'tis indeed found upon the chair where he was sitting.

Josiah remarks that he should keep it more carefull.

After he has gone we look at one another in some concern. Did he see us embrace? Did he so, might he just suppose it some Yuletide pleasantry?

There is a little sigh from Eliza.