in Miss Grahame; to me
this friendship has been and is quite incomprehensible. She does not
possess one quality that would attract me; what a fortunate thing it is
we do not all like the same sort of people. Congratulate me, my dear
friend, I am overcoming in a degree my dislike to the company of
strangers. Some of papa and mamma's select friends and their families
have been calling on us the last month, and we have lately had rather
more society in the evening; not anything like large parties, but nice
little conversaziones, and really the lords and ladies who compose them
are much more agreeable than my fancy pictured them. They are so
intelligent, and know so much of the world, and the anecdotes they
relate are so amusing, and some so full of good-natured wit, that in one
evening I become more advanced in my favourite study, that of character,
than I do in weeks spent in retirement. Caroline is very much admired,
and I sometimes look at her with surprise; for she certainly looks much
better, and makes herself more agreeable among strangers than she
_always_ does at home. Mamma would call that perhaps an unkind
reflection, but I do not mean it for such; some people are more
fascinating out than at home. I am contented to remain in the shade, and
only speak when I am spoken to, like a good little girl; that is to say,
I converse with those who are good-natured enough to converse with me,
and many agreeable evenings have I passed in that way. There is her
Grace the Duchess D----, a very delightful woman, with elegant manners,
and full of true kindness. I like the way she speaks to her daughters,
at least her two youngest--the rest are married--Lady Anne and Lady
Lucy; they appear very nice young women, agreeable companions, as yet
we have but little conversation in common, though they appear to get on
remarkably well with Caroline. The Countess Elmore, a _nouvelle mariee_,
but a delightful creature, so exquisitely lovely--such eyes, hair,
teeth; and yet these rare charms appear entirely forgotten, or displayed
only for the Earl her husband, who is worthy of it all. He has talked to
me so often, that his wife also takes a great deal of notice of me, and
when they are of our party I always pass an agreeable evening. The Earl
is well acquainted with our beautiful Devonshire, dearest Mary; he
admires country as I do, and he asked so much about it one night last
week, that I quite forgot all my intentions about control, and ac