notions of polite life with which I did not find any thing at Mr.'s correfpond. It was often, indeed, their good humour which offended me as coarfe, and their happiness that ftruck me as vulgar. There was not fuch a thing as... hip or low fpirits among them, a fort of finery which, at, I found a perfon of fashion. could not poffibly be without.

They were at great pains to fhew me any fights that were to be feen, with fome of which I was really little pleafed, and with others I thought it would look like ignorance to seem pleased. They took me to the play-house, where there was little company, and very little attention. I was carried to the concert, where the cafe was exactly the fame. I found great fault with both; for though I had not much fkill, I had got words enough for finding fault from my friend Lady -: upon which they made an apology for our entertainment, by telling me, that the play-house was, at that time, managed by a fiddler, and the concert was allowed to ma→ nage itself.

Our parties at home were: agreeable enough. I found Mr. —— --'s and my aunt's vifitors

靡

very different from what I had been made to ex

pect, and not at all the cocknies my Lady and fome of her humorous guefts, used to de fcribe. They were not, indeed, fo polite as the fashionable

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fafhionable company I had met at her Ladyfhip's; but they were much more civil Among the reft was my uncle-in-law's partner, a goodlooking young man, who, from the firft, was fo particularly attentive to me, that my cousins jokingly called him my lover; and even my aunt fometimes told me the believed he had a ferious attachment to me: but I took care not to give him any encouragement, as I had always heard my friend Lady talk of the wife of a bourgeois as the most contemptible creature in the world,

The feafon at laft arrived, in which, I was told, the town would appear in its gaiety, a great deal of good company being expected at the Races. For the Races I looked with anxiety, for another reafon; my dear Lady

was

to be here at that period. Of this I was informed by a letter from my fifter. From her Ladyfhip I had not heard for a confiderable time, as fhe had been engaged in a round of vifits to her acquaintance in the country.

The very morning after her arrival (for I was on the watch to get intelligence of her), I called at her lodgings. When the fervant appeared, he feemed doubtful about letting me in; at last he ushered me into a little darkish parlour, where, after waiting about half an hour, he brought me word, that his Lady could not try

on

ne

on the gown I had brought then, but defired me to fetch it next day at eleven. I now perceived there had been a mistake as to my perfon; and telling the fellow, fomewhat angrily, that I was no mantua-maker, defired him to carry to his Lady a flip of paper, on which I wrote, with a pencil, the well-known name of Leonora. On his going up ftairs, I heard a loud peal of laughter above, and foon after he returned with a meffage, that Lady· was forry fhe was particularly engaged at prefent, and could not poffibly fee me. Think, Sir, with what aftonishment I heard this meffage from Hortenfia. I left the houfe, I know not whether moft aflamed or angry; but afterwards I began to perfuade myfelf, that there might be fome particular reasons for Lady- --'s not seeing me at that time, which the might explain at meeting; and I imputed the terms of the meffage to the rudeness or fimplicity of the footman. All that day, and the next, I waited impatiently for fome note of explanation or enquiry from her Ladyship, and was a a good deal difappointed when I found the fecond evening arrive, without having received any such token of her remembrance. I went, rather in low fpirits, to the play. I had not been long in the houfe, when I faw Lady enter the next box. My heart fluttered at the fight ; and I watched her eyes, that I might take

the

the first opportunity of prefenting myself to her Inotice.99 I faw them, foon after, turned towards Ime, and immediately curtfied, with a fignificant fmile, to my noble friend, who being fhortfighted, it would feem, which, however, I had never remarked before, ftared at me for some mo ments, without taking notice of my falute, and at laft was juft putting up a glafs to her eye, to point it at me, when a lady pulled her by the fleeve, and made her take notice of fomebody on the oppofite fide of the house. She never afterwards happened to look to that quarter where I was feated.

Still, however, I was not quite difcouraged, and, on an accidental change of places in our box, contrived to place myself at the end of the bench next her Ladyfhip's, fo that there was only a piece of thin board between us. At the end of the act, I ventured to afk her how fhe did, and to exprefs my happiness at seeing her in town, adding, that I had called the day before, but had found her particularly engaged.

Why, yes," faid the, Mifs Homefpun, I 15 am always extremely hurried in town, and have time to receive only a very few vifits; but I will be glad if you will come fome “morning and breakfast with me but not to65 morrow, for there is a morning-concert; nor "next day, for I have a musical party at home.

"In fhort, you may come fome morning next "week, when the hurry will be over, and, if I am not gone out of town, I will be happy to "fee you." I don't know what answer I should have made; but the did not give me an oppor tunity for a gentleman in a green uniform coming into the box, the immediately made room for him to fit between us. He, after a broad ftare full in my face, turned his back my way, and fat in that posture all the reft of the evening.

I am not fo filly, Mr. MIRROR, but I can understand the meaning of all this. My Lady, it feems, is contented to have fome humble? friends in the country, whom he does not think I worthy of her notice in town, but I am deter mined to fhew her, that I have a prouder fpirit than the imagines, and fhall not go near her eis ther in town or country. What is more, my father fhan't vote for her friend at next election, if I can help it.

What vexes me beyond every thing else is, that I had been often telling my aunt and her daughters of the intimate footing I was on with Lady and what a violent friendship we had for each other; and fo, from envy, perhaps, they used to nick-name me the Countess, and Lady Leonora. Now that they had got this Itory of the mantua-maker and the play-houfe

(for