Hayes was at the first moment of his victory very much alarmed; he
feared that he had killed the woman; and Wood started up rather
anxiously too, with the same fancy. But she soon began to recover.
Water was brought; her head was raised and bound up; and in a short
time Mrs. Catherine gave vent to a copious fit of tears, which
relieved her somewhat. These did not affect Hayes much--they rather
pleased him, for he saw he had got the better; and although Cat
fiercely turned upon him when he made some small attempt towards
reconciliation, he did not heed her anger, but smiled and winked in
a self-satisfied way at Wood. The coward was quite proud of his
victory; and finding Catherine asleep, or apparently so, when he
followed her to bed, speedily gave himself up to slumber too, and
had some pleasant dreams to his portion.
Mr. Wood also went sniggering and happy upstairs to his chamber.
The quarrel had been a real treat to him; it excited the old man-
-tickled him into good-humour; and he promised himself a rare
continuation of the fun when Tom should be made acquainted with the
circumstances of the dispute. As for his Excellency the Count, the
ride from Marylebone Gardens, and a tender squeeze of the hand,
which Catherine permitted to him on parting, had so inflamed the
passions of the nobleman, that, after sleeping for nine hours, and
taking his chocolate as usual the next morning, he actually delayed
to read the newspaper, and kept waiting a toy-shop lady from
Cornhill (with the sweetest bargain of Mechlin lace), in order to
discourse to his chaplain on the charms of Mrs.
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