he left undone, or got
others to do for her. Very much of her time was spent in visiting.
Madame, aware that her stay at school was now limited to a certain
period, which would not be extended whether she made progress or not,
allowed her great licence in this particular. Mrs. Cholmondeley--her
_chaperon_--a gay, fashionable lady, invited her whenever she had
company at her own house, and sometimes took her to evening-parties at
the houses of her acquaintance. Ginevra perfectly approved this mode of
procedure: it had but one inconvenience; she was obliged to be well
dressed, and she had not money to buy variety of dresses. All her
thoughts turned on this difficulty; her whole soul was occupied with
expedients for effecting its solution. It was wonderful to witness the
activity of her otherwise indolent mind on this point, and to see the
much-daring intrepidity to which she was spurred by a sense of
necessity, and the wish to shine.

She begged boldly of Mrs. Cholmondeley--boldly, I say: not with an air
of reluctant shame, but in this strain:--

"My darling Mrs. C., I have nothing in the world fit to wear for your
party next week; you _must_ give me a book-muslin dress, and then a
_ceinture bleu celeste_: _do_--there's an angel! will you?"

The "darling Mrs. C." yielded at first; but finding that applications
increased as they were complied with, she was soon obliged, like all
Miss Fanshawe's friends, to oppose resistance to encroachment. After a
while I heard no more of Mrs. Cholmondeley's presents; but still,
visiting went on, and the absolutely necessary dresses continued to be
supplied: also many little expensive _etcetera_--gloves, bouquets, even
trinkets. These things, contrary to her custom, and even nature--for
she was not secretive--were most sedulously kept out of sight for a
time; but one evening, when she was going to a large party for which
particular care and elegance of costume were demanded, she could not
resist coming to my chamber to show herself in all her splendour.

Beautiful she looked: so young, so fresh, and with a delicacy of skin
and flexibility of shape altogether English, and not found in the list
of continental female charms. Her dress was new, costly, and perfect. I
saw at a glance that it lacked none of those finishing details which
cost so much, and give to the general effect such an air of tasteful
completeness.

I viewed her from top to toe. She turned airily round that I might
sur