“Miss Burney,” said Mrs. P.,, presenting me to him, “authoress of ‘Evelina.’”

“Yes,” cried Lady Say and Sele, starting up, “’tis the authoress of ‘Evelina!’”

“Of what ? " cried he.

“Of ‘Evelina.’  You’d never think it,—­she looks so young, to have so much invention, and such an elegant style!  Well, I could write a play, I think, but I’m sure I could never write a novel.”

“Oh, yes, you could, if you would try,” said Lady Hawke.

“Oh, no, I could not,” answered she; “I could not get a style—­ that’s the thing—­I could not tell how to get a style! and a novel’s nothing without a style, you know!”

“Why no,” said Lady Hawke; “that’s true.  But then you write such charming letters, you know!”

“Letters!” repeated Lady S. and S. simpering; “do you tbink so?  Do you know I wrote a long letter to Mrs. Ray just before I came here, this very afternoon,—­quite a long letter!  I did, I assure you!”

Here Mrs. Paradise came forward with another gentleman, younger, slimmer, and smarter, and saying to me, “Sir Gregory Page Turner,” said to him,

“Miss Burney, authoress of ‘Evelina.’”

At which Lady Say and Sele, In fresh transport, again rose, and rapturously again repeated—­

“Yes, she’s authoress of ‘Evelina’!  Have you read it?”

“No; is it to be had?”

“Oh dear, yes! it’s been printed these two years!  You’d never think it!  But it’s the most elegant novel I ever read in my life.  Writ in such a style!”

“Certainly,” said he very civilly; “I have every inducement to get it.  Pray where is it to be had? everywhere, I suppose?”

“Oh, nowhere, I hope,” cried I, wishing at that moment it had been never in human ken. 228

My square friend, Lord Say and Sele, then putting his head forward, said, very solemnly, “I’ll purchase it!”

His lady then mentioned to me a hundred novels that I had never heard of, asking my opinion of them, and whether I knew the authors?  Lady Hawke only occasionally and languidlv joining in the discourse:  and then Lady S. and S., sudclertl rising, begged me not to move, for she should be back again in a minute, and flew to the next room.

I took, however, the first opportunity of Lady Hawke’s casting down her eyes, and reclining her delicate head, to make away from this terrible set; and, just as I was got by the pianoforte, where I hoped Pacchierotti would soon present himself, Mrs. Paradise again came to me, and said,-

“Miss Burney, Lady Say and Sele wishes vastly to cultivate your acquaintance, and begs to know if she may have the honour of your company to an assembly at her house next Friday?—­and I will do myself the pleasure to call for you if you will give me leave.”

“Her ladyship does me much honour, but I am unfortunately engaged,” was my answer, with as much promptness as I could command.