she modelled her lips into an enchanting simper, which played on
her countenance all day long; nay, she even profited by that defect
in her vision we have already observed, and securely contemplated
those features which were most to her liking, while the rest of
the company believed her regards were disposed in a quite contrary
direction. With what humility of complaisance did she receive
the compliments of those who could not help praising the elegance
of the banquet; and how piously did she seize that opportunity of
commemorating the honours of her sire, by observing that it was
no merit in her to understand something of entertainments, as she
had occasion to preside at so many, during the mayoralty of her
papa!

Far from discovering the least symptom of pride and exultation
when the opulence of her family became the subject of conversation,
she assumed a severity of countenance; and, after having moralized
on the vanity of riches, declared that those who looked on her as
a fortune were very much mistaken; for her father had left her no
more than a poor five thousand pounds, which, with what little she
had saved of the interest since his death, was all she had to depend
on: indeed, if she had placed her chief felicity in wealth, she
should not have been so forward in destroying her own expectations, by
advising and promoting the event at which they were now so happily
assembled; but she hoped she should always have virtue enough
to postpone any interested consideration, when it should happen
to clash with the happiness of her friends. Finally, such was her
modesty and self-denial that she industriously informed those whom
it might concern, that she was no less than three years older than
the bride; though had she added ten to the reckoning, she would
have committed no mistake in point of computation.