_ton_ she passes by the name
of Vestina the Titan, from her being such a finished tactician in the
campaigns of Venus;. her ordinary appellation is Mrs. St--h--pe: whether
this be a _nom de guerre or a nom de terre_, I shall not pretend to
decide; if we admit that _la chose est toute_, _et que la nom n'y fait
rien_, the rest is of no consequence. It would be an intricate task to
unravel the family web of our fashionable frail ones, although that of
many frail fashionables stands high in heraldry. The lady in question,
although in 'the sear o' the leaf,' is yet in high request; 'fat, fair,
and forty' shall I say?

~19~~Alas! that would have been more suitable ten years since; but,
_n'importe_, she has the science to conceal the ravages of time, and
is yet considered attractive. No one better understands the art of
intrigue; and she is, moreover, a travelled dame, not deficient in
intellect, full of anecdote; and as _conjugation and declension_ go hand
in hand with some men of taste, she has risen into notice when others
usually decline. A sporting colonel is said to have formerly contributed
largely to her comforts, and her tact in matters of business is
notorious; about two hundred per annum she derived from the Stock
Exchange, and her present _peerless protector_ no doubt subscribes
liberally. To be brief, Laura has money in the funds, a splendid house,
carriage, gives her grand parties, and lives proportionably expensive
and elegant; yet with all this she has taken care that the age of gold
may succeed to the age of brass, that the retirement of her latter days
may not be overclouded by the storms of adversity. She had two sisters,
both gay, who formerly figured on the _pave_, Sarah and Louisa; but of
late they have disappeared, report says, to _conjugate_ in private.
Turn your eyes towards the promenade," said Crony, "and observe that
constellation of beauties, three in number, who move along _le verd
gazon_: they are denominated the _Red Rose_, the _Moss Rose_, and the
_Cabbage Rose_. The first is Rose Co*l**d, a dashing belle, who has
long figured in high life; her first appearance was in company with Lord
William F***g***ld, by whom she has a child living; from thence we
trace her to the protection of another peer, Lord Ty*****], and from him
gradually declining to the rich relative of a northern baronet, sportive
little Jack R*****n, whose favourite _lauda finem_ she continued for
some time; but as the law engro