With both these little pieces Ellen was perhaps more pleased than their
intrinsic merit warranted; but we naturally look with a partial eye on
the performances of those we love. After looking over several other
poetical attempts, and some beautiful drawings, they returned to
Juliet's apartment, where they spent a delightful evening; for Juliet
seemed materially mending, and Laura's spirits rose in proportion.
Thus, and in similar pleasures, passed the time till the beginning of
March, varied indeed by the occasional visits of the neighbouring
families. One day, after a long solicitation, the St. Aubyns, Cecils,
and some more of the most fashionable people near them, dined with Mrs.
Dawkins, where they also met her tender friend and shadow, Miss Alton,
who this day, for the first time in her life, was destined to offend
that _sweet woman_, Mrs. Dawkins; for charmed to find herself seated on
a sofa between "her _dearest_ Lady St. Aubyn," and that _most
delightful_ man, General Morton, a veteran officer in the neighbourhood,
at whom it was supposed Miss Alton had long _set her cap_, as the phrase
is, she attended not to the hints, shrugs, and winks of her friend, who,
not keeping a regular housekeeper, and being extremely anxious for the
placing her first course properly, wished Miss Alton just to slip out
and see it put on table: but vain were her wishes; and the cook, finding
no aid-de-camp arrive, after waiting till some of the dishes were
over-dressed, and others half cold, was obliged to act as
commander-in-chief, and direct the disposition of the table herself; in
which, not having clearly understood her mistress's directions (for in
fact her anxiety to have all correct made them vary every half hour),
she succeeded so ill, that when, after all her fretting and fuming, poor
Mrs. Dawkins was told dinner was on table, that unfortunate Lady had
nearly fainted at perceiving, when she entered the dining-room, that
half the articles intended for the second course were crowded into the
first, and roasted, ragoued, boiled, fried, sweet and sour, were jumbled
together, in the finest confusion imaginable!
"This is all _your_ fault," said Mrs. Dawkins, in a low voice, but with
the countenance of a fury, to poor Alton: "you could not _stir_ to see
it put down;" and pushing rudely by her, she left her staring with
surprize, and wondering what had made the dear soul so very angry: but
when she saw the blunders which were so obvious in the arrangement of
the table, and recollected her own negligence (for in fact she had
promised to see it set down), she was in her turn quite shocked.
Insupportable was the delay and confusion in putting down this second
course; even curtailed as it was, Mrs. Dawkins's servants were not
perfectly _au fait_ at such things, and at last Lord St. Aubyn gave a
hint to his own man, who waited behind his chair to assist, which he did
so effectually, that every thing was soon placed as by magic, and the
rest of the dinner and dessert passed over tolerably well. After dinner,
the ladies retired to the drawing-room, and listened, with their usual
patience, to fresh lamentations from Mrs. Dawkins, and renewed
sympathies on the part of Miss Alton, who sought, by even increasing her
usual portion of _tender sensibility_, to regain her wonted place in
Mrs. Dawkins's good graces; but that lady continued so haughty and
impracticable, that poor Alton came at last with _real_ tears, to
complain to the good-natured Ellen and Laura of her hard fate, and the
impossibility, do all she could, of pleasing some people; and they
really were so sorry for her vexation, that when Lady St. Aubyn's
carriage was announced, she rescued her from the visible unkindness of
Mrs. Dawkins, by desiring to have the pleasure of setting her down, and
made her quite happy again, by asking her to meet a small party at the
Castle the next day, which, as it was understood to be rather a select
thing, and confined to those most intimate there, assured Miss Alton a
renewed importance with Mrs. Dawkins and all her friends, as she should
have much to tell, which they could by no other possibility know any
thing about.