Rochester upon the danger to which her niece was exposed. She could not
have applied to a fitter person: he immediately advised her to take her
niece out of the hands of Miss Hobart; and contrived matters so well that
she fell into his own. The duchess, who had too much generosity not to
treat as visionary what was imputed to Miss Hobart, and too much justice
to condemn her upon the faith of lampoons, removed her from the society
of the maids of honour, to be an attendant upon her own person.

Miss Bagot was the only one who was really possessed of virtue and beauty
among these maids of honour: she had beautiful and regular features, and
that sort of brown complexion, which, when in perfection, is so
particularly fascinating, and more especially in England, where it is
uncommon. There was an involuntary blush almost continually upon her
cheek, without having anything to blush for. Lord Falmouth cast his eyes
upon her: his addresses were better received than those of Miss Hobart,
and some time after Cupid raised her from the post of maid of honour to
the duchess to a rank which might have been envied by all the young
ladies in England.

The Duchess of York, in order to form her new court, resolved to see all
the young persons that offered themselves, and, without any regard to
recommendations, to choose none but the handsomest.

At the head of this new assembly appeared Miss Jennings and Miss Temple;
and indeed they so entirely eclipsed the other two, that we shall speak
of them only.

Miss Jennings, adorned with all the blooming treasures of youth, had the
fairest and brightest complexion that ever was seen: her hair was of a
most beauteous flaxen: there was something particularly lively and