He is recovered from his attack. And, upon my
conscience, I think my pretty cousin looks prettier every day.
"When they are not in London," Clive goes on to write, "or I sometimes
think when Barnes or old Lady Kew are not looking over them, they are
quite different. You know how cold they have latterly seemed to us, and
how their conduct annoyed my dear old father. Nothing can be kinder than
their behaviour since we have met. It was on the little hill at
Godesberg: J. J. and I were mounting to the ruin, followed by the beggars
who waylay you, and have taken the place of the other robbers who used to
live there, when there came a procession of donkeys down the steep, and I
heard a little voice cry, 'Hullo! it's Clive! hooray, Clive!' and an ass
came pattering down the declivity, with a little pair of white trousers
at an immensely wide angle over the donkey's back, and behold there was
little Alfred grinning with all his might.
"He turned his beast and was for galloping up the hill again, I suppose
to inform his relations; but the donkey refused with many kicks, one of
which sent Alfred plunging amongst the stones, and we were rubbing him
down just as the rest of the party came upon us.
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