A gentleman hastily alighted, entered her humble abode, and, stating
that his lady required her assistance, scarcely allowed the good woman
time to wrap a few garments around her, ere he hurried her into the
carriage, which drove off with both of them, as if coachman and horses
were mad. After the lapse of a few minutes the carriage stopped; the
good woman was taken out, and ushered into a most splendid
mansion--although the midnight darkness was too great to allow of her
noticing its exterior and situation. After the infant was born, being
about to wash and dress it, a box of some kind of ointment was put
into her hands, wherewith she was desired to anoint it all over; and
in doing this she happened to rub one of her eyes.--At last, her
attendance being no longer required, she was re-conveyed to her own
abode, in the same manner as she had been taken from it; but, although
she subsequently noticed most particularly all the gentlemen's houses
in the vicinity, she was never able to discover that to which she had
been taken;--neither did she ever behold the gentleman again, until
many months afterwards, being at a wake in the neighbourhood, she saw,
to her supreme astonishment, that mysterious stranger, liberally
helping himself, without money and without leave, from the
stalls!--Averse to noticing the fact, oar honest woman resolved,
nevertheless, to accost him; and making her way up to where he stood,
asked after the health of his lady and child, regretting that she had
not been able to call and see them, since she had failed in every
endeavour to find the house.
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