MODERN NOVELISTS. FLIRTATIO N. IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. III. LONDON: PUBLISHED FOR HENRY COLBURN BY R. BENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET. 1834. PRICE OF THE TRREK VOLS. 125. BOUND. mere fashionable existence, fell far short of the enchantment in which she had pictured them to herself, or which she had heard her sister describe them to be. The day for Lady Frances's marriage was now fixed. It was shortly to take place; and she was at the height of good humour and complacency that species of good humour which depends upon the fulfilment of its wishes. She had, indeed, sacrificed some inward feelings; but it was a sacrifice scarce acknowledged to herself; pride, and a spirit of vengeance, made her fancy herself indifferent. She had obtained her end in being made a great, and what she valued still more, a fashionable personage, and she now condescended to take her sister under her protection. One day, as she was driving her to Blondell's, the milliner's, the sisters held the following colloquy. “ Well, my dear Emily, I am happy to tell you, that upon the whole you have had very fair success. Had you been under my auspices it might have been better; but, take it altogether, you have been extremely admired; and if you will only follow my advice, I doubt not you may yet do very well, as well as myself." 66 Oh, that would be difficult!" said Lady Emily, smiling. "There is Lepel, for instance," continued Lady Frances," an exceeding good judge, and a very kind good-hearted man, quite the person whose advice one ought to take, because he is intimate with all the young men of the day. Well, he vowed that you would be one of the finest creatures going, if you would only copy a little of my self-possession. Why don't you, my dear Lady Frances, (he spoke quite in a confidential manner to me)—' why don't you tell that charming sister of yours not to be always crying at the tragedies and laughing at the comedies, and in such preposterous ecstasies with the Zuchelli and the Rosalinda, just as if she had never been at an opera before in her lifetime, and did not know that people of the world never go into public to be affected by any thing. Really, Lady Emily's beautiful features are quite disfigured sometimes by all those violent commotions. It is very well for the housemaid and one's valet; but, indeed, even they know better now-a-days how to behave themselves. It is only permissible for a lady to suffer the cor |