At dinner we had three persons added to our company,--my dear father,
Miss Streatfield, and Miss Brown.
Miss Brown, as I foresaw, proved the queen of the day. Miss Streatfield
requires longer time to make conquests. She is, indeed, much more really
beautiful than Fanny Brown; but Fanny Brown is much more showy, and her
open, good-humoured, gay, laughing face inspires an almost immediate wish
of conversing and merry-making with her. Indeed, the two days she spent
here have raised her greatly in my regard. She is a charming girl, and
so natural, and easy, and sweet-tempered, that there is no being half an
hour in her company without ardently wishing her well.
Next day at breakfast, our party was Sir Philip, Mr. Fuller, Miss
Streatfield, Miss Brown, the Thrales, and I.
The first office performed was dressing Miss Brown. She had put on
bright, jonquil ribbons. Mrs. Thrale exclaimed against them immediately;
Mr. Fuller half joined her, and away she went, and brought green ribbons
of her own, which she made Miss Brown run up stairs with to put on.
This she did with the utmost good humour; but dress is the last thing
in which she excels; for she has lived so much abroad, and so much with
foreigners at home, that she never appears habited as an Englishwoman,
nor as a high-bred foreigner, but rather as an Italian Opera-dancer;
and her wild, careless, giddy manner, her loud hearty laugh, and general
negligence of appearance, contribute to give her that air and look.
I like her so much, that I am quite sorry she is not better advised,
either by her own or some friend's judgment.
Miss Brown, however, was queen of the breakfast: for though her
giddiness made everybody take liberties with her, her good-humour made
everybody love her, and her gaiety made everybody desirous to associate
with her. Sir Philip played with her as with a young and sportive
kitten; Mr. Fuller laughed and chatted with her; and Mr. Seward, when
here, teases and torments her. The truth is, he cannot bear her, and
she, in return, equally fears and dislikes him, but still she cannot
help attracting his notice.