_Mrs Allmash_. Lord Fondleton! I did not know that he was interested in
such subjects.

_Lady Fritterly_. He says he is, dear; between ourselves--but this, of
course, is strictly _entre nous_--I rather think that it is I who
interest him: but I encourage him, poor fellow; it may wean him from the
unprofitable life he is leading, and turn his mind to higher things. Oh!
I almost forgot,---then there is my new beauty!

_Mrs Allmash_. Your new beauty!

_Lady Fritterly_. Yes; if you could only have dined with me the other
night, you would have met her. I had such a perfect little dinner. Just
think! A poet, an actor, a journalist, a painter, a wit, and a new
beauty. I'll tell you how I found her. She really belongs at present to
Lady Islington and myself; but of course, now we have started her, all
the other people will snap her up. We found that we both owed that
vulgar upstart, Mrs Houndsley, a visit, and went there together--because
I always think two people are less easily bored than one--when suddenly
the most perfect apparition you ever beheld stood before us;--an old
master dress, an immense pattern, a large hat rim encircling a face, some
rich auburn hair inside, and the face a perfect one. Well, you know, it
turned out that she was not born in the purple--her husband is just a
clerk in Burley's Bank; but we both insisted on being introduced to
her--for, you see, my dear, there is no doubt about it, she is a ready-
made beauty. The same idea occurred to Lady Islington, so we agreed as
we drove away that we would bring her out. The result is, that she went
to Islington House on Tuesday, and came to me on Thursday, and created a
perfect furor on both occasions; so now she is fairly started.