To Mr. Otway I feel that I may desire to be presented with gratitude for the pleasure of which he has thought me worthy, in an introduction to my agreeable colleagues; but how shall I contrive to make my bow at Glenalta? If you can find a happy moment in which to say with a good grace, "Charles Falkland, Mrs. Douglas," you will be more than ever the cherished friend of,
Your affectionate,
C. F——.
P. S. Whenever you visit the city of the Seven Hills, be sure and come hither provided with "Rome in the nineteenth Century." It is a tribute which I for one, most willingly pay, to declare this work of a female pen to be by a thousand degrees the best vade mecum with which you can furnish yourself.
LETTER X.
Miss Howard to Arthur Howard, Esq.
Dear Arthur,
London.
I am so completely obsedée with all that I have to accomplish, that really you must be very thankful for a letter on any terms at present. The fact is that la Madre is put into a flutterment by news which we have just had from that old quiz, Mr. Ingoldsby, of the India House, who says poz, that our ancient uncle is coming home as rich as Croesus. What is bringing him, we know not. No matter for the cause, the effect is that Ingot (as I always call him) came here last week express with the intelligence, since when I could not command five minutes, or you should have had the on dit on the wings of the wind. At first I felt transformed into a begum, and transported with joy. Shawls, gems, and jewels, dazzled my senses. I dreamt of lacs of rupees, snuffed otto in every breeze, and read envy, malice, and all uncharitableness, in every female face throughout the metropolitan world.
Such was the bright vision of half an hour, when, on the per contra side of the question a grisly band rose upon my disordered imagination, and I terrified myself with the bare idea, that vielle-cour is becoming religious, to such a degree that I had hardly spirits left for Lady Anne Legrave's "At Home," to which I was obliged to go in the evening. I told my fears to mamma and Adelaide. The former said that she would hope the best; but, if the worst comes to the worst, we must, she says, of course indulge the whim as long as it lasts. Ingot does not expect him for several months, so that we may take time by the forelock. Then it may be only a rumour, and he may be snug at Calcutta; but to make sure, we shall take a few good books down to Selby, and, per favour of the Morleys and Arundels, and a few more of the "Praise God Barebones" community, we shall get up a nice vocabulary, and with the help of a fawn-coloured bonnet, which I shall certainly borrow from Deborah Prim the grocer, that "demurest of the tabby kind," who is of the society called Friends, I do not despair of acting my part à merveille.
Mamma is rather cross upon the matter, I think, and foresees trouble; but she is always a bit of a Cassandra; and besides, she lost horribly the other night at ecarté; but for heavens sake don't say that I told you so.