The evening after the ball they played at "the ring," a ring held on a
string in a circle, and the fool in the middle seeks and challenges any
suspected hand. This morning, the moment breakfast was over, they went
into the _hall of the marble table,_ and there played at _petits
pacquets_ (not time to describe), a great deal of running and laughing
among pretty men and pretty maids.

As I stood at the window with Mr. Hope looking at a ring of company
playing French blindman's-buff, we agreed we had never seen more beauty,
male and female, collected in a circle of fourteen persons.

Mrs. Hogan has just announced the arrival of "Prince Cimitelli, and
another name, ma'am, which I am ashamed to say I can never _twist out_
rightly, is to come here to-day."

Mr. Smith told Fanny that he had intended to put me into the _Rejected
Addresses_, and had written a part in the character of an Irish
labourer, but it was so flat he threw it aside.


_To_ MRS. EDGEWORTH.

FROGNEL, HAMPSTEAD, _Dec. 29, 1821_.

We read--I mean we have heard read by Mr. Carr, who reads admirably,
half the first volume of the _Pirate_, stopped at the chapter ending
with the description of Norma of the Fitful Head. We were much pleased
and interested, especially with the beautiful description of Mordaunt's
education and employments: the sea-monsters, etc., most poetical, in