Nor were
his admirers merely confined to the satin and velvet of the
aristocracy, for 'pretty Betty,' maid of all work to the Legation, and
on that account so vain of the honor that she would not condescend to
associate with servants not attached to the corps, was by Thomas, a
wonderfully sagacious footman, discovered to be the writer of an
highly scented missive, directed as an arrow at the heart of
Bolt. That this little shaft of the tender passion contained some
truly original lines the enlightened cannot doubt; and I think I may
assert without fear of contradiction that Betty did in these lines,
notwithstanding they evinced a sovereign contempt for orthography and
versification, discover a deep knowledge of diplomacy. I say this for
the reason that her diction could be construed to mean anything but
what she intended; albeit there was such an openness about it
generally that any clever gentleman might walk in at the back door. I
thought it highly creditable in Betty to attempt a thing so mighty as
the conquest of Bolt's heart--indeed there was an admirable heroism
about it; but it caused a great flutter in the kitchen, where the
sensitive Thomas brought forward a motion for her extradition.
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