“Even the declarations made by themselves, seem wholly new and strange to them; they forget not only what they have seen, but what they have said.”

My dear Madam,

I concluded my last by telling you Mr— had some business to settle with the Directors, part of which was on account of what they were, and yet are, indebted to me as the widow of Mr Falconbridge, for money left in their hands, and for salary due to him when he died.

About a week after we came to town, I called at Mr Henry Thornton's, but not finding him at home, left my address, with a message, that I wished to see him on business. Several days elapsed without a syllable from Mr Thornton, and conjecturing the servant might have omitted delivering my card or message, I called again, when his house-keeper assured me he had received both, but was then at his country seat at Clapham; I now left a note mentioning the circumstance of my having waited on him twice, and begging to be acquainted when I could have the pleasure of seeing him; four or five days more passed away without any answer, which puzzled me very much to account for. Unwilling, however, to nurse any suspicion that either insult or injury could possibly be intended me, by a man who had spontaneously made such declarations of friendship as Mr Thornton did to me before I went last to Africa, and whose character is currently reported to possess as little alloy as frail man can be charged with, I therefore determined to venture another letter before I formed any opinion; the consequence of this was an answer that staggered me a vast deal more than his silence; he informed me I would find him at his banking house, in Bartholomew Lane, from ten to twelve the following day, if I chose to call there. I was vexed at receiving so affronting a note from Mr Thornton, because it gave me room to question his veracity, and the Directors’ good intentions towards me; nevertheless, a consciousness of having done nothing to merit such rudeness, and my interest requiring me to see him, I curbed my nettled pride, collected as much composure as it was possible, and met the gentleman on his own ground.