loquacity of your fair neighbour makes me cautious of attempting to
engage you."

"You mean," said Cecilia, "to laugh at _my_ loquacity, and
indeed its ill success has rendered it sufficiently ridiculous."

"Are you, then, yet to learn," cried he, "that there are certain
young ladies who make it a rule never to speak but to their own
cronies? Of this class is Miss Leeson, and till you get into her
particular coterie, you must never expect to hear from her a word of
two syllables. The TON misses, as they are called, who now infest
the town, are in two divisions, the SUPERCILIOUS, and the VOLUBLE.
The SUPERCILIOUS, like Miss Leeson, are silent, scornful, languid,
and affected, and disdain all converse but with those of their own
set: the VOLUBLE, like Miss Larolles, are flirting, communicative,
restless, and familiar, and attack without the smallest ceremony,
every one they think worthy their notice. But this they have in
common, that at home they think of nothing but dress, abroad, of
nothing but admiration, and that every where they hold in supreme
contempt all but themselves."

"Probably, then," said Cecilia, "I have passed tonight, for one of
the VOLUBLES; however, all the advantage has been with the
SUPERCILIOUS, for I have suffered a total repulse."

"Are you sure, however, you have not talked too well for her?"

"O, a child of five years old ought to have been whipt for not
talking better!"