their persons, and since knowing nothing of their histories, parties
or connections, she could to nothing allude: it therefore served but
to heighten her colour and increase her embarrassment.

A native dignity of mind, however, which had early taught her to
distinguish modesty from bashfulness, enabled her in a short time to
conquer her surprise, and recover her composure. She entreated Mrs
Harrel to apologise for her appearance, and being seated between two
young ladies, endeavoured to seem reconciled to it herself.

Nor was this very difficult; for while her dress, which she had not
changed since her journey, joined to the novelty of her face,
attracted general observation, the report of her fortune, which had
preceded her entrance, secured to her general respect. She soon
found, too, that a company was not necessarily formidable because
full dressed, that familiarity could be united with magnificence,
and that though to her, every one seemed attired to walk in a
procession, or to grace a drawing-room, no formality was assumed,
and no solemnity was affected: every one was without restraint, even
rank obtained but little distinction; ease was the general plan, and
entertainment the general pursuit.

Cecilia, though new to London, which city the ill-health of her
uncle had hitherto prevented her seeing, was yet no stranger to
company; she had passed her time in retirement, but not in
obscurity, since for some years past she had presided at the table
of the Dean, who was visited by the first people of the county in
which he lived: and notwithstanding his parties, which were frequent
though small, and elegant though private, had not prepared her for
the splendour or the diversity of a London assembly, they yet, by