Bochsa,{3} how you used to annoy her about her gaudy style
of dressing, when we used to foot it at Chelsea:--but I 3 There were in
all eight sisters of the Debouchettes, and three brothers; but only one
of the latter is living. Of the girls, Amy is now Mrs. Bochsa; Mary,
married to a nephew of Sir Richard Bo****hs, a great Irish contractor;
Harriette, actually married to Cornet Rochforte; Fanny expired in the
_holy keeping_ of the present Marquis of H-----; Sophia has been raised
to the peerage, by the style and title of Lady B-----k, and by her
subsequent conduct well deserves her elevation; Julia, an affectionate
girl, clung to the house of Coventry through poor Tom's days of
adversity, and died early, leaving some unprotected orphans; Charlotte
and Louisa, younger sisters, the first now about eighteen and very
beautiful, although a little lame, have been educated and brought up
by their elder sister, the Baroness, and are by her intended for the
church--vestals for Hymen's altar: at any rate, I hope they will escape
the _sacrifices of Cytherea_. Harriette is now about forty years of age:
she was, when at her zenith, always celebrated rather for her tact
in love affairs, and her talent at invention, than the soft engaging
qualifications of the frail fair, which fascinate the eye and lead the
heart captive with delight: her conversational powers were admirable;
but her temper was outrageous, with a natural inclination to the
satirical:--to sum up her merits at once, she was what a _connoisseur_
would have called a bold fine woman, rather than an engaging handsome
one--more of the English Bellona than the _Venus de Medici_.
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