panied by the daughter of the diffenting clergyman, were the firft that arrived. They were feated in the drawing-room before either Mrs. or Mifs Botherim were ready to make their appearance.

At length the mother came curtfeying into the room, and while fhe ftroked down the obftinate folds of her wellstarched apron, made a thousand apologies for not being fooner prepared for their reception. She was followed by Bridgetina, whose stiff turban and gaudy ribbons put the homely plainness of her countenance in the most confpicuous point of view.

Neither her drefs nor perfon were, however, in any danger of criticism from the party present. They perceived not the prodigious fund of merriment that might have been derived from her wearing a blue gown and yellow flippers; a circumstance, which would have afforded a week's giggling to many miffes, was altogether loft upon them. Their stupid infenfi

infenfibility to the pleasure of perfonat ridicule will, no doubt, imprefs: many

readers with an unfavourable idea of their understanding. To the misfortune of never having been at a boarding-school, may perhaps be attributed this feeming want of difcernment to thofe deformities of perfon, and incongruities of drefs, to which fo many ladies, and fo many beaux, confine their whole ftock of obfervation.

The compliments of both mother and daughter were received by thefe ladies with that unaffected complacency, which they had been taught to feel for the virtues of the heart. They were not insenfible to the foibles or the peculiarities of either; but if thofe of Mrs. Botherim fometimes excited a fmile, it was a smile unaccompanied by malice, and void of the ill-natured wifh of expofing the object that excited it to the ridicule of others. What were their feelings with regard to Bridgetina,may, perhaps,appear hereafter. Perfonages

Perfonages of greater confequence now call for our attention. A loud knocking at the door announces the arrival of Sir Anthony Aldgate, his lady, and daughter.

Of her relationship to this great man Mrs. Botherim was not a little proud. She exulted in the honour of an annual vifit from him, which he regularly paid on his way to Buxton every fummer: and though the trouble and expense it cost him, to come, so many miles out of the direct road, was always fet forth in fuch terms, as might have difgufted a more faftidious mind; it acted it acted upon Mrs. Botherim's exactly as it was intended, and only ferved to enhance the value of the vifit. Mrs. Botherim was herself the daughter of a tradesman in the city, and had early acquired fuch a profound refpect for wealth, that the fight of that fort of intoxication, produced by a full purfe on a narrow heart and fhallow understanding, was not fo difgufting to her feelings, as it proba

bly

bly was to those of some of her present guests.

The two Mr. Gubbles, father and son, with their respective ladies, next appear ed, and were formally introduced to Sir Anthony and his lady. In Mifs Aldgate, the younger Mrs. Gubbles foon discovered a school-mate, and although the daugh ter of the city knight appeared not very willing to recognize the wife of the apothecary as an acquaintance, the claims of the latter were brought forward in too forcible a manner to be refifted.

"Locka me!" cried the bride of young Gubbles, "Mifs Jenny Aldgate, I declare! Who would have thought of feeing you here? And you are not married yet! Well! I declare it is fo odd that I fhould get married before you! Isn't it?"

Mifs Aldgate bit her lips, while fhe declared, how vaftly glad fhe was to fee her old companion, and to wish her joy.' Without liftening to her compliment,

Mrs.

Mrs. Gubbles continued, "All the ladies at Mrs. Nab's fchool were fo furprised when I went to fee them, you have no ideer. Locką me! Do you remember our governefs? How we quizz'd her! I never think of our ftealing the nice chicken from the fire, which she was having roasted for her own fupper, without being ready to die with laughing. I told it all to Mr. Gubbles, and it fo diverted him! And then the going over the garden-wall to get prog at the pastry-cook's fhop: was n'titexcellent? And do you remember”—

Here followed a whisper, which called up fomething very like a blufh in the cheeks of Mifs Aldgate. Her friend proceeded

"Oh, I affure you, upon my honour, F never told that to any one;" cafting a fignificant glance at her husband. "I would not tell fuch a thing to any one for the world. But, locka me! I wager you won't guess what is become of Mifs Bell