at my Lady ---'s emporium for the
disposal of young ladies, for indeed I can consider it as nothing else.

I went with the Argents. The hall door was open, and filled with the
servants in their state liveries; but although the door was open, the
porter, as each carriage came up, rung a peal upon the knocker, to
announce to all the square the successive arrival of the guests. We were
shown upstairs to the drawing-rooms. They were very well, but neither so
grand nor so great as I expected. As for the company, it was a
suffocating crowd of fat elderly gentlewomen, and misses that stood in
need of all the charms of their fortunes. One thing I could notice--for
the press was so great, little could be seen--it was, that the old ladies
wore rouge. The white satin sleeve of my dress was entirely ruined by
coming in contact with a little round, dumpling duchess's cheek--as
vulgar a body as could well be. She seemed to me to have spent all her
days behind a counter, smirking thankfulness to bawbee customers.

When we had been shown in the drawing-rooms to the men for some time, we
then adjourned to the lower apartments, where the refreshments were set
out. This, I suppose, is arranged to afford an opportunity to the beaux
to be civil to the belles, and thereby to scrape acquaintance with those
whom they approve, by assisting them to the delicacies. Altogether, it
was a very dull well-dressed affair, and yet I ought to have been in good
spirits, for Sir Marmaduke Towler, a great Yorkshire baronet, was most
particular in his attentions to me; indeed so much so, that I saw it made
poor Sabre very uneasy. I do not know why it should, for I have given
him no positive encouragement to hope for anything; not that I have the
least idea that the baronet's attentions were more than commonplace
politeness, but he has since called. I cannot, however, say that my
vanity is at all flattered by this circumstance. At the same time, there
surely could be no harm in Sir Marmaduke making me an offer, for you know
I am not bound to accept it. Besides, my father does not like him, and
my mother thinks he's a fortune-hunter; but I cannot conceive how that
may be, for, on the contrary, he is said to be rather extravagant.

Before we return to Scotland, it is intended that we shall visit some of
the watering-places; and, perhaps, if Andrew can manage it with my
father, we may even take a trip to Paris. The Doctor himself is not
averse to