sure that it is properly made up, I volunteer to take it
to the chemist's myself."

"Pray, what is the complaint of Mrs Bluestone, my love?"

"Nothing; she over-eats herself--that's all. Abernethy would cure her
in twenty-four hours."

"Well, but, my love, about this _conversazione_?"

"Go, and make up the prescription, my dear, and we'll talk the matter
over afterwards."

They did so. A list of the people they were acquainted with was drawn
out, the expense calculated, and the affair settled.

The first point to be considered was the size of the cards.

"These, my love," said Mrs Feasible, who came in from a long walk with
her bonnet still on, "these are three shillings and sixpence a hundred;
and these, which are a size larger, are four-and-sixpence. Which do you
think we ought to have?"

"Why, really, my dear, when one sends out so many, I do not see why we
should incur unnecessary expense. The three-and-sixpenny ones are quite
large enough."

"And the engraving will be fourteen shillings."

"Well, that will only be a first expense. _Conversazione_, in old
English, of course."

"And here, my love, are the ribbons for the maid's caps and sashes; I
bought them at Waterloo House, very cheap, and a very pretty
candle-light colour."

"Did you speak to them about their gowns?"

"Yes, my love; Sally and Peggy have each a white gown, Betty I can lend
one of my own."

The difference between a _conversazione_ and a rout is simply this:--in
the former you are expected to talk or listen; but to be too ethereal to
eat. In the latter, to be squeezed in a crowd, and eat ices, etcetera,
to cool yourself. A _conversazione_ has, therefore, a great advantage
over the latter, as far as the pocket is concerned, it being much
cheaper to procure food for the mind than food for the body. It would
appear that tea has been as completely established the beverage of
modern scientific men, as nectar was formerly that of the gods. The
Athenaeum gives tea; and I observed in a late newspaper, that Lord
G--- has promised tea to the Geographical Society. Had his lordship
been aware that there was a beverage invented on board a ship much more
appropriate to the science over which he presides than tea, I feel
convinced he would have substituted it immediately; and I therefore take
this opportunity of informing him that sailors have long made use of a
compound which actually goes by the name of _geograffy_, which is only a
t