the errand boy's hat, and have been the talk and detestation of the
whole neighborhood ever since. They could no longer be induced to
play at Pope-Joan or blindman's-buff; they could endure no dances but
quadrilles, which nobody had ever heard of in Little Britain; and they
took to reading novels, talking bad French, and playing upon the piano.
Their brother, too, who had been articled to an attorney, set up for a
dandy and a critic, characters hitherto unknown in these parts; and
he confounded the worthy folks exceedingly by talking about Kean, the
opera, and the "Edinburgh Review."

What was still worse, the Lambs gave a grand ball, to which they
neglected to invite any of their old neighbors; but they had a great
deal of genteel company from Theobald's Road, Red-Lion Square, and other
parts towards the west. There were several beaux of their brother's
acquaintance from Gray's Inn Lane and Hatton Garden; and not less
than three Aldermen's ladies with their daughters. This was not to be
forgotten or forgiven. All Little Britain was in an uproar with the
smacking of whips, the lashing of miserable horses, and the rattling and
the jingling of hackney coaches. The gossips of the neighborhood might
be seen popping their nightcaps out at every window, watching the crazy
vehicles rumble by; and there was a knot of virulent old cronies, that
kept a lookout from a house just opposite the retired butcher's, and
scanned and criticised every one that knocked at the door.

This dance was a cause of almost open war, and the whole neighborhood
declared they would have nothing more to say to the Lambs. It is
true that Mrs. Lamb, when she had no engagements with her quality
acquaintance, would give little humdrum tea-junketings to some of her
old cronies, "quite," as she would say, "in a friendly way;" and it is
equally true that her invitations were always accepted, in spite of all