“Indeed!” cried I, laughing; “I must own I am extremely glad to hear it. I only wish you could both meet without either knowing the other.”
“Well, we behaved extremely well, I assure you; and looked each as if we had never seen one another before. I determined to let you know it.”...
A NEW VISIT FROM MRS. FAIRLY.
The day after the birthday I had again a visit from Mrs. Fairly. I was in the midst of packing, and breakfasting, and confusion—for we left town immediately, to return no more till next year, except to St. James’s for the Drawing-room. However, I made her as welcome as I was able, and she was more soft and ingratiating in her manners than I ever before observed her. I apologised two or three times for not waiting upon her, representing my confined abilities for visiting.
ONE TRAGEDY FINISHED AND ANOTHER COMMENCED.
August.-As I have only my almanac memorandums for this month, I shall hasten immediately to what I think my dear partial lecturers will find most to their taste in the course of it. Know then, fair ladies, about the middle of this August, 17 90, the author finished the rough first draft and copy of her first tragedy. What species of a composition it may prove she is very unable to tell; she only knows it was an almost spontaneous work, and soothed the melancholy of imagination for a while, though afterwards it impressed it with a secret sensation of horror, so like real woe, that she believes it contributed to the injury her sleep received about this period.