Her name is Anna Maria (daughter of Higgs and Pettifer, solicitors,
Bedford Row); but Hicks calls her "Ianthe" in his album verses, and is
himself an eminent drysalter in the city.


MISS MEGGOT.


Poor Miss Meggot is not so lucky as Miss Bunion. Nobody comes to dance
with HER, though she has a new frock on, as she calls it, and rather a
pretty foot, which she always manages to stick out.

She is forty-seven, the youngest of three sisters, who live a mouldy old
house, near Middlesex Hospital, where they have lived for I don't know
how many score of years; but this is certain: the eldest Miss Meggot saw
the Gordon Riots out of that same parlor window, and tells the story
how her father (physician to George III.) was robbed of his queue in the
streets on that occasion. The two old ladies have taken the brevet rank,
and are addressed as Mrs. Jane and Mrs. Betsy: one of them is at whist
in the back drawing-room. But the youngest is still called Miss Nancy,
and is considered quite a baby by her sisters.

She was going to be married once to a brave young officer, Ensign Angus
Macquirk, of the Whistlebinkie Fencibles; but he fell at Quatre Bras,
by the side of the gallant Snuffmull, his commander. Deeply, deeply did
Miss Nancy deplore him.

But time has cicatrized the wounded heart. She is gay now, and would
sing or dance, ay, or marry if anybody asked her.