“Why no,” said Lady Hawke; “that's true. But then you write such charming letters, you know!”
“Letters!” repeated Lady S. and S. simpering; “do you think so? Do you know I wrote a long letter to Mrs. Ray just before I came here, this very afternoon,—quite a long letter! I did, I assure you!”
Here Mrs. Paradise came forward with another gentleman, younger, slimmer, and smarter, and saying to me, “Sir Gregory Page Turner,” said to him,
“Miss Burney, authoress of 'Evelina.'”
At which Lady Say and Sele, In fresh transport, again rose, and rapturously again repeated—
“Yes, she's authoress of 'Evelina'! Have you read it?”
“No; is it to be had?”
“Oh dear, yes! it's been printed these two years! You'd never think it! But it's the most elegant novel I ever read in my life. Writ in such a style!”
“Certainly,” said he very civilly; “I have every inducement to get it. Pray where is it to be had? everywhere, I suppose?”
“Oh, nowhere, I hope,” cried I, wishing at that moment it had been never in human ken.