She is
constantly to be seen at all masquerades, and may be easily known by her
utter contempt for the incumbrance of decent costume." "How d'ye do? How
d'ye do?" said a most elegant creature, stretching forth her delicate
white kid-covered arm over the _fenetre_ of Lord Hxxxxxxx*h's _vis a
vis_. "Ah! _bon jour, ma chere amie_," said old Crony, waving his hand
and making one of his best bows in return. "You are a happy dog," said
I, "old fellow, to be upon such pleasant terms with that divinity. No
plebeian blood there, I should think: a peeress, I perceive, by the
coronet on the panels." "_A peine cognoist, ou la femme et le melon_,"
responded Crony, "you shall hear. Among the _ton_ she passes by the name
of Vestina the Titan, from her being such a finished tactician in the
campaigns of Venus;. her ordinary appellation is Mrs. St--h--pe: whether
this be a _nom de guerre or a nom de terre_, I shall not pretend to
decide; if we admit that _la chose est toute_, _et que la nom n'y fait
rien_, the rest is of no consequence. It would be an intricate task to
unravel the family web of our fashionable frail ones, although that of
many frail fashionables stands high in heraldry. The lady in question,
although in 'the sear o' the leaf,' is yet in high request; 'fat, fair,
and forty' shall I say?
~19~~Alas! that would have been more suitable ten years since; but,
_n'importe_, she has the science to conceal the ravages of time, and
is yet considered attractive.
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