es and fingers, with a mixture of
good-humoured virulence and self-satisfied industry that is
gratifying to all parties. But whenever their efforts are
unexpectedly, and for themselves unfortunately successful, they are
so taken aback that they lose the power of behaving themselves with
even gigantesque propriety.

Such, so great and so various, was to be the intended gathering
at Miss Dunstable's house. She herself laughed, and quizzed
herself--speaking of the affair to Mrs. Harold Smith as though it
were an excellent joke, and to Mrs. Proudie as though she were simply
emulous of rivalling those world-famous assemblies in Gloucester
Place; but the town at large knew that an effort was being made,
and it was supposed that even Miss Dunstable was somewhat nervous.
In spite of her excellent joking it was presumed that she would be
unhappy if she failed. To Mrs. Frank Gresham she did speak with some
little seriousness. "But why on earth should you give yourself all
this trouble?" that lady had said, when Miss Dunstable owned that she
was doubtful, and unhappy in her doubts, as to the coming of one of
the great colleagues of Mr. Supplehouse. "When such hundreds are
coming, big wigs and little wigs of all shades, what can it matter
whether Mr. Towers be there or not?" But Miss Dunstable had answered
almost with a screech,--

"My dear, it will be nothing without him. You don't understand; but
the fact is that Tom Towers is everybody and everything at present."
And then, by no means for the first time, Mrs. Gresham began to
lecture her friend as to her vanity; in answer to which lecture Miss
Dunstable mysteriously hinted, that if she were only allowed her full
swing on this occasion,--if all the world would now indulge her, she
would-- She did not quite say what she would do, but the inference
drawn by Mrs. Gresham was this: that if the incense now offered on
the altar of Fashion were accepted, Miss Dunstable would at once
abandon the pomps and vanities of this wicked world, and all the
sinful lusts of the flesh.

"But the doctor will stay, my dear? I hope I may look on that as
fixed." Miss Dunstable, in making this demand on the doctor's time,
showed an energy quite equal to that with which she invoked the gods
that Tom Towers might not be absent. Now, to tell the truth, Dr.
Thorne had at first thought it very unreasonable that he should be
asked to remain up in London in order that he might be present at an
evening part