the dance had continued about an hour, the two ladies, who were
apprehensive of catching cold, moved to break up the ball. One of
them, I thought, expressed her sentiments upon this occasion in a
very coarse manner, when she observed, that by the living jingo,
she was all of a muck of sweat. Upon our return to the house, we
found a very elegant cold supper, which Mr Thornhill had ordered
to be brought with him. The conversation at this time was more
reserved than before. The two ladies threw my girls quite into
the shade; for they would talk of nothing but high life, and high
lived company; with other fashionable topics, such as pictures,
taste, Shakespear, and the musical glasses. 'Tis true they once
or twice mortified us sensibly by slipping out an oath; but that
appeared to me as the surest symptom of their distinction, (tho'
I am since informed that swearing is perfectly unfashionable.)
Their finery, however, threw a veil over any grossness in their
conversation. My daughters seemed to regard their superior
accomplishments with envy; and what appeared amiss was ascribed
to tip-top quality breeding. But the condescension of the ladies
was still superior to their other accomplishments. One of them
observed, that had miss Olivia seen a little more of the world,
it would greatly improve her. To which the other added, that a
single winter in town would make her little Sophia quite another
thing. My wife warmly assented to both; adding, that there was
nothing she more ardently wished than to give her girls a single
winter's polishing. To this I could not help replying, that their
breeding was already superior to their fortune; and that greater
refinement would only serve to make their poverty ridiculous, and
give them a taste for pleasures they had no right to possess.--
'And what pleasures,' cried Mr Thornhill, 'do they not deserve to
possess, who have so much in their power to bestow? As for my