Sir Per.  I am mighty glad till hear it, my lady.

Lord Lum.  Ay, ay—­Rodolpha is always in spirits, Sir Pertinax.—­Vive la Bagatelle is the philosophy of our family,—­ha?  Rodolpha—­ha?

Lady Rod.  Traith it is, my lord; and upon honour I am determined it shall never be changed with my consent.  Weel I vow—­ha, ha, ha!  Vive la Bagatelle would be a most brilliant motto for the chariot of a belle of fashion.  What say you till my fancy, Lady Macsycophant.

Lady Mac.  It would have novelty at least to recommend it, madam.

Lady Rod.  Which of aw charms is the most delightful that can accompany wit, taste, love, or friendship;—­for novelty I take to be the true Je ne scais quoi of all worldly bliss.  Cousin Egerton, shou’d not you like to have a wife with Vive la Bagatelle upon her wedding chariot?

Eger.  O! certainly, madam.

Lady Rod.  Yes, I think it would be quite out of the common, and singularly ailegant.

Eger.  Indisputably, madam:—­for as a motto is a word to the wise, or rather a broad hint to the whole world of a person’s taste and principles,—­Vive la Bagatelle would be most expressive at first sight of your ladyship’s characteristic.

Lady Rod. [Curtsies.] O!  Maister Egerton, you touch my vary heart with your approbation—­ha, ha, ha! that is the vary spirit of my intention, the instant I commence bride.—­Weel!  I am immensely proud that my fancy has the approbation of so sound an understanding, and so polished a taste as that of the all-accomplished [Curtsies very low.] Mr. Egerton.

Sir Per.  Weel,—­but Lady Rodolpha—­I wanted to ask your ladyship some questions about the company at the Bath;—­they say you had aw the world there.

Lady Rod.  O, yes!—­there was a vary great mob there indeed;—­but vary little company.—­Aw Canaille,—­except our ain party.—­The place was crowded with your little purse-proud mechanics;—­an odd kind of queer looking animals that have started intill fortune fra lottery tickets, rich prizes at sea, gambling in Change-Alley, and sic like caprices of fortune;—­and away they aw crowd to the Bath to learn genteelity, and the names, titles, intrigues, and bon-mots of us people of fashion; ha, ha, ha!

Lord Lum.  Ha, ha, ha!  I know them;—­I know the things you mean, my dear, extremely well.—­I have observed them a thousand times, and wondered where the devil they all came from; ha, ha, ha!

Lady Mac.  Pray, Lady Rodolpha, what were your diversions at Bath?

Lady Rod.  Guid traith, my lady, the company were my diversion,—­and better na human follies ever afforded; ha, ha, ha! sic an a mixture—­and sic oddities, ha, ha, ha!—­a perfect Gallimaufry.—­Lady Kunegunda M’Kenzie and I used to gang about till every part of this human chaos, on purpose to reconnoitre the monsters and pick up their frivolities; ha, ha, ha!