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woman.
    'Mrs Barber, first I wish to thank you for agreeing to
see me today. I know that you are busy with matters relating
to your schoolhouse and I also understand that you must
be grieving over your recent loss. However, I wish to write
a small profile for the Gentlemen's Magazine concerning your
late husband and the unique position that he occupied
from which he was able to witness the birth of some of
our finest literature. I was, of course, hoping to speak with
him directly, but this being impossible I thank you most
sincerely for granting me an audience. I will endeavour to
occupy only a small portion of your morning.'
    The woman looked quizzically upon me, but she chose
to say nothing. For my part I was surprised to see how
much of an inroad nature had made into her complexion
for, sad to say, she was pockmarked extensively, and her
grey hair hung lank about her ears. This was not the woman
that I had expected to encounter, but the elements have a
way of destroying even the most beautiful objects in nature,
and sadly it appeared that Mrs Barber had been quite
brutally exposed to the vicissitudes of rain and shine for
many years now.
    'Does it trouble you my daughter being present?' She
spoke quietly, but before I could answer, she continued. 'I
can send her out if it will please you.' I smiled, first upon
her and then in the direction of the mongrel.
    'It matters little to me, Mrs Barber. As I said, I have no
desire to disturb your day more than is strictly necessary.'
    The common woman looked at me in a strange manner,
and for a moment I imagined her to be perhaps impaired
in her faculties. She began to grin, somewhat toothlessly,
and I found myself trying to imagine this Betsy in her full
glory a quarter of a century earlier when all of London
was animated by the news of the scandalous developments
in the great lexicographer's household.
    In 1776, Francis announced to his master that he was
somewhat persecuted by love and that he had discovered
the girl to whom he wished to be married. Initially, Dr
Johnson wondered if the lucky girl was with child, but he
deemed it politic not to enquire. He knew of Francis'
popularity with a variety of young females, and although
he regarded the sable young man with paternal concern,
he was reluctant to begin lecturing the negro on any aspect
of his behaviour in case Francis felt pressured into once
again absconding to sea. Dr Johnson asked Francis if he
might meet with his bride-to-be, and Francis said that he
would bring the girl to him at his master's earliest convenience.
Francis also suggested that in order to avoid further
conflict with Miss Williams, he would prefer it if after
their marriage he and his wife might be permitted to establish
lodgings outside of Dr Johnson's house. After all, in
addition to Miss Williams there was also her Scotch maid,
and the gloomy widow, Mrs Jesmoulins, and her recently
arrived daughter, so his master would not be short of assistance.
Francis made it clear that he intended to continue
to serve his master, but in the interests of peace and
harmony he seemed to have already made up his mind that
this would be the most sensible course of action.
    Two days later, Francis arrived at the house with a freshfaced,
twenty-year-old English girl in tow, her arm linked
nervously through his own. He introduced the girl to Dr
Johnson as Elizabeth, and she curtseyed gracefully, but
then Francis immediately began referring to her as Betsy,
which his master took as his cue to do the same. The
older man inspected the young girl, who seemed slight of
body but possessed of a natural bloom, and he then asked
after her family, and requested intelligence of how it had
come to pass that she had met his Francis. He listened to
her shy and cautious words, and then he delicately asked
if the couple had any immediate plans for a family, at
which point the girl blushed a deep crimson. Again, it
occurred to the doctor that the wench might already be
with child, for he