Those who had not obeyed the call her eyes always made upon all of them for notice at her entrance, or before she took her seat, were spoken of with haughtiness, as, Jacks, or Toms; wile her favourites, with an affectedly-endearing familiarity, and a prettiness of accent, were Jackeys and Tommys; and if they stood very high in her graces, dear devils, and agreeable toads.

She sat in judgment, and an inexorable judge she was upon the actions and conduct of every man and woman of quality and fashion, as they became the subjects of conversation.  She was deeply learned in the scandalous chronicle:  she made every character, every praise, and every censure, serve to exalt herself.  She should scorn to do so or so!—­or, That was ever her way; and Just what she did, or liked to do; and judging herself by the vileness of the most vile of her sex, she wiped her mouth, and sat down satisfied with her own virtue.

She had her chair to attend her wherever she went, and found people among her betters, as her pride stooped to call some of the most insignificant people in the world, to encourage her visits.

She was practised in all the arts of the card-table:  a true Spartan girl; and had even courage, occasionally, to wrangle off a detection.  Late hours (turning night into day, and day into night) were the almost unavoidable consequences of her frequent play.  Her parents pleased themselves that their Sally had a charming constitution:  and, as long as she suffered not in her health, they were regardless of her morals.

The needle she hated:  and made the constant subjects of her ridicule the fine works that used to employ, and keep out of idleness, luxury, and extravagance, and at home (were they to have been of no other service) the women of the last age, when there were no Vauxhalls, Ranelaghs, Marybones, and such-like places of diversion, to dress out for, and gad after.

And as to family-management, her parents had not required any knowledge of that sort from her; and she considered it as a qualification only necessary for hirelings, and the low-born, and as utterly unworthy of the attention of a modern fine lady.

Although her father had great business, yet, living in so high and expensive a way, he pretended not to give her a fortune answerable to it.  Neither he nor his wife having set out with any notion of frugality could think of retrenching.  Nor did their daughter desire that they should retrench.  They thought glare or ostentation reputable.  They called it living genteely.  And as they lifted their heads above their neighbours, they supposed their credit concerned to go forward rather than backward in outward appearances.  They flattered themselves, and they flattered their girl, and she was entirely of their opinion, that she had charms and wit enough to attract some man of rank; of fortune at least:  and yet this daughter of a mercer-father and grocer-mother could not bear the thoughts of a creeping cit; encouraging