collected, as here, without any possible reason why they might not
as well be separated, something could be proposed in which each
person might innocently take a share: for surely after the first
half-hour, they can find little new to observe in the dress of their
neighbours, or to display in their own; and with whatever seeming
gaiety they may contrive to fill up the middle and end of the
evening, by wire-drawing the comments afforded by the beginning,
they are yet so miserably fatigued, that if they have not four or
five places to run to every night, they suffer nearly as much from
weariness of their friends in company, as they would do from
weariness of themselves in solitude."

Here, by the general breaking up of the party, the conversation was
interrupted, and Mr Gosport was obliged to make his exit; not much
to the regret of Cecilia, who was impatient to be alone with Mrs
Harrel.

The rest of the evening, therefore, was spent much more to her
satisfaction; it was devoted to friendship, to mutual enquiries, to
kind congratulations, and endearing recollections; and though it was
late when she retired, she retired with reluctance.




CHAPTER iv

A SKETCH OF HIGH LIFE.