er, as
earnestly and sincerely as if they had actually _come out_.

'How do I look, dear?' inquired Miss Emily Smithers, the belle of the
house, of Miss Caroline Wilson, who was her bosom friend, because she was
the ugliest girl in Hammersmith, or out of it.

'Oh! charming, dear. How do I?'

'Delightful! you never looked so handsome,' returned the belle, adjusting
her own dress, and not bestowing a glance on her poor companion.

'I hope young Hilton will come early,' said another young lady to Miss
somebody else, in a fever of expectation.

'I'm sure he'd be highly flattered if he knew it,' returned the other,
who was practising _l'ete_.

'Oh! he's so handsome,' said the first.

'Such a charming person!' added a second.

'Such a _distingue_ air!' said a third.

'Oh, what _do_ you think?' said another girl, running into the room;
'Miss Crumpton says her cousin's coming.'

'What! Theodosius Butler?' said everybody in raptures.

'Is _he_ handsome?' inquired a novice.

'No, not particularly handsome,' was the general reply; 'but, oh, so
clever!'

Mr. Theodosius Butler was one of those immortal geniuses who are to be
met with in almost every circle. They have, usually, very deep,
monotonous voices. They always persuade themselves that they are
wonderful persons, and that they ought to be very miserable, though they
don't precisely know why. They are very conceited, and usually possess
half an idea; but, with enthusiastic young ladies, and silly young
gentlemen, they are very wonderful persons. The individual in question,
Mr. Theodosius, had written a pamphlet containing some very weighty
considerations on the expediency of doing something or other; and as
every sentence contained a good many words of four syllables, his
admirers took it for granted that he meant a good deal.

'Perhaps that's he,' exclaimed several young ladies, as the first pull of
the evening threatened destruction to the bell of the gate.

An awful pause ensued. Some boxes arrived and a young lady--Miss Brook
Dingwall, in full ball costume, with an immense gold chain round her
neck, and her dress looped up with a single rose; an ivory fan in her
hand, and a most interesting expression of despair in her face.

The Miss Crumptons inquired after the family, with the most excruciating
anxiety, and Miss Brook Dingwall was formally introduced to her future
companions. The Miss Crumptons conversed with the young ladies in the
most mell