I was to dine the other day at a great Nabob's that must be nameless, who, between ourselves, is strongly suspected of--being very rich, that's all.

John, my valet, who knows my foible, cautioned me, while he was dressing me, as he usually does where he thinks there's a danger of my committing a _lapsus_, to take care in my conversation how I made any allusion direct or indirect to presents--you understand me?
I set out double charged with my fellow's consideration and my own; and, to do myself justice, behaved with tolerable circumspection for the first half-hour or so,--till at last a gentleman in company, who was indulging a free vein of raillery at the expense of the ladies, stumbled upon that expression of the poet, which calls them "fair defects." _1st Lady_.

It is Pope, I believe, who says it.
_Mr.H_.

No, Madam; Milton.

Where was I?
Oh, "fair defects." This gave occasion to a critic in company, to deliver his opinion on the phrase--that led to an enumeration of all the various words which might have been used instead of "defect," as want, absence, poverty, deficiency, lack.