This morning our little society rose very early, and were all dressed
with neatness and elegance, in order to go to church. Mrs. Teachum put
Miss Polly Suckling before her, and the rest followed, two and two, with
perfect regularity.
Mrs. Teachum expressed great approbation, that her scholars, at this
solemn place, showed no sort of childishness, notwithstanding their
tender age; but behaved with decency and devotion suitable to the
occasion.
They went again in the same order, and behaved again in the same manner,
in the afternoon; and when they returned from church, two young ladies,
Lady Caroline and Lady Fanny Delun, who had formerly known Miss Jenny
Peace, and who were at present in that neighbourhood with their uncle,
came to make her a visit.
Lady Caroline was fourteen years of age, tall and genteel in her person,
of a fair complexion, and a regular set of features so that, upon the
whole, she was generally complimented with being very handsome.
Lady Fanny, who was one year younger than her sister, was rather little
of her age, of a brown complexion, her features irregular; and, in
short, she had not the least real pretensions to beauty.
It was but lately that their father was, by the death of his eldest
brother, become Earl of Delun; so that their titles were new, and they
had not been long used to your ladyship.
Miss Jenny Peace received them as her old acquaintance: however, she
paid them the deference due to their quality, and, at the same time,
took care not to behave as if she imagined they thought of anything
else.
As it was her chief delight to communicate her pleasures to others, she
introduced her new-made friends to her old acquaintance, and expected to
have spent a very agreeable afternoon. But to describe the behaviour of
these two young ladies is very difficult. Lady Caroline, who was dressed
in a pink robe, embroidered thick with gold, and adorned with very fine
jewels, and the finest Mechlin lace, addressed most of her discourse to
her sister, that she might have the pleasure every minute of uttering
‘Your ladyship,’ in order to show what she herself expected. And as
she spoke, her fingers were in perpetual motion, either adjusting her
tucker, placing her plaits of her robe, or fiddling with a diamond
cross, that hung down on her bosom, her eyes accompanying her fingers as
they moved, and then suddenly being snatched off, that she might not be
observed to think of her own dress; yet was it plain, that her thoughts
were employed on only that and her titles. Miss Jenny Peace, although
she would have made it her choice always to have been in company who did
not deserve ridicule, yet had she humour enough to treat affectation
as it deserved. And she addressed herself to Lady Caroline with so many
ladyships, and such praises of her fine clothes, as she hoped would have
made her ashamed; but Lady Caroline was too full of her own vanity, to
see her design, and only exposed herself ten times the more, till she
really got the better of Miss Jenny, who blushed for her, since she was
incapable of blushing for herself.
Lady Fanny’s dress was plain and neat only, nor did she mention anything
about it; and it was very visible her thoughts were otherwise employed,
neither did she seem to take any delight in the words ‘Your ladyship’:
but she tossed and threw her person about into so many ridiculous
postures, and as there happened unfortunately to be no looking-glass
in the room where they sat, she turned and rolled her eyes so many
different ways, in endeavouring to view as much of herself as possible,
that it was very plain to the whole company she thought herself a
beauty, and admired herself for being so.
Our little society, whose hearts were so open to each other, that they
had not a thought they endeavoured to conceal, were so filled with
contempt at Lady Caroline and Lady Fanny’s behaviour, and yet so
strictly obliged, by good manners, not to show that contempt, that
the reserve they were forced to put on, laid them under so great a
restraint, that they knew not which way to turn themselves, or how
to utter one word; and great was their joy when Lady Caroline, as the
eldest, led the way, and with a swimming curtsey, her head turned half
round on one shoulder, and a disdainful eye, took her leave, repeating
two or three times the word ‘misses,’ to put them in mind, that she
was a lady. She was followed by her sister Lady Fanny, who made a slow
distinct curtsey to every one in the room, that she might be the
longer under observation. And then taking Miss Jenny by the hand, said,
‘Indeed, Miss, you are very pretty,’ in order to put them in mind of her
own beauty.
Our little society, as soon as they were released, retired to their
arbour, where, for some time, they could talk of nothing but this visit.
Miss Jenny Peace remarked how many shapes vanity would turn itself into,
and desired them to observe, how ridiculously Lady Caroline Delun turned
her whole thoughts on her dress, and condition of life; and how absurd
it was in Lady Fanny, who was a very plain girl, to set up for a beauty,
and to behave in a manner which would render her contemptible, even if
she had that beauty her own vanity made her imagine herself possessed
of.
Miss Nanny Spruce said, ‘She was greatly rejoiced that she had seen her
folly; for she could very well remember when she had the same vanity of
dress and superiority of station with Lady Caroline, though she had not,
indeed, a title to support it; and in what manner, she said, she would
tell them in the story of her life.