ertion of this admirable woman, were
fresh in our minds, morning visitors flowed in and common life
again went on.

At Almack's, that exclusive paradise of fashion to which they were
admitted, Lord Londonderry came up and talked to Miss Edgeworth about
_Castle Rackrent_ and Ireland generally. He expressed himself as having
been dying with impatience to be introduced to her. She naively says:--

It surprised me very much to perceive the rapidity with which a
minister's having talked to a person spread through the room.
Everybody I met afterwards that night and the next day observed to
me that they had seen Lord Londonderry talking to me a great while.

Mrs. Siddons was among the persons whose acquaintance they formed.

She gave us the history of her first acting of Lady Macbeth, and of
her resolving, in the sleep scene, to lay down the candlestick,
contrary to the precedent of Mrs. Pritchard and all the traditions,
before she began to wash her hands and say, "Out, vile spot!"
Sheridan knocked violently at her door during the five minutes she
had desired to have entirely to herself to compose her spirits
before the play began. He burst in and prophesied that she would
ruin herself forever if she persevered in this resolution to lay
down the candlestick! She persisted, however, in her resolution,
succeeded, was applauded, and Sheridan begged her pardon. She
described well the awe she felt, and the power of the excitement
given to her by the sight of Burke, Fox, Sheridan and Sir Joshua
Reynolds in the pit.

Morning, dinner, evening parties, succeeded one another. Miss Edgeworth
had not even time to note them. In June (1822) the sisters at last
returned home, Miss Edgeworth by no means loth to resume the thread of
her domestic affairs. She set to work upon the _Sequel to Harry and
Lucy_, which was one among the duty-tasks she deemed it right to do,
because her father had wished it to be completed. "I could never be easy
writing anything for my own amusement till I had done this, which I know
my father wished to have finished."

Portions of Ireland were suffering from famine that summer. The
deplorable state of the south in especial aroused all Miss Edgeworth's
sympathies. But she feared that as one source of grievance was removed
another would spring up.

The minds bent on mischief are unconquered. In fact it is almost