As soon as their mutual salutations, expressions of kindness, and
general inquiries had been made, Mrs Harrel begged to lead her to
the drawing-room, "where," she added, "you will see some of my
friends, who are impatient to be presented to you."

"I could have wished," said Cecilia, "after so long an absence, to
have passed this first evening alone with you."

"They are all people who particularly desired to see you," she
answered, "and I had them by way of entertaining you, as I was
afraid you would be out of spirits at leaving Bury."

Cecilia, finding the kindness of her intentions, forbore any further
expostulation, and quietly followed her to the drawing-room. But as
the door was opened, she was struck with amazement upon finding that
the apartment, which was spacious, lighted with brilliancy, and
decorated with magnificence, was more than half filled with company,
every one of which was dressed with gaiety and profusion.

Cecilia, who from the word friends, expected to have seen a small
and private party, selected for the purpose of social converse,
started involuntarily at the sight before her, and had hardly
courage to proceed.

Mrs Harrel, however, took her hand and introduced her to the whole
company, who were all severally named to her; a ceremonial which
though not merely agreeable but even necessary to those who live in
the gay world, in order to obviate distressing mistakes, or
unfortunate implications in discourse, would by Cecilia have been
willingly dispensed with, since to her their names were as new as