Miss Thrale came laughing up after me, and tried to persuade me to return.  She was mightily diverted all the morning, and came to me with repeated messages of summons to attend the company, but I could not brave it again into the roon’, and therefore entreated her to say I was finishing a letter.  Yet I was sorry to lose so much of Mrs. Montagu.

When dinner was upon table, I followed the procession, in a tragedy step, as Mr. Thrale will have it, into the dining parlour.  Dr. Johnson was returned.

The conversation was not brilliant, nor do I remember much

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of it; but Mrs. Montagu behaved to me just as I could have wished, since she spoke to me very little, but spoke that little with the utmost politeness.  But Miss Gregory, though herself a modest girl, quite stared me out of countenance, and never took her eyes off my face.

When Mrs. Montagu’s new house was talked of, Dr. Johnson, in a jocose manner, desired to know if he should be invited to see it.

“Ay, sure,” cried Mrs. Montagu, looking well pleased; “or I shan’t like it:  but I invite you all to a house warming; I shall hope for the honour of seeing all this company at my new house next Easter day:  I fix the day now that it may be remembered.’

Everybody bowed and accepted the invite but me, and I thought fitting not to hear it; for I have no notion of snapping at invites from the eminent.  But Dr. Johnson, who sat next to me, Was determined I should be of the party, for he suddenly clapped his hand on my shoulder, and called out aloud,

“Little Burney, you and I will go together?”

“Yes, surely,” cried Mrs. Montagu, “I shall hope for the pleasure of seeing ‘Evelina.’”

“‘Evelina>’” repeated he; “has Mrs. Montagu then found out ‘Evelina?’”

“Yes,” cried she, “and I am proud of it:  I am proud that a work so commended should be a woman’s.”

hhow my face burnt!

“Has Mrs. Montagu,” asked Dr. Johnson, “read ‘Evelina?’”

“No, sir, not yet; but I shall immediately, for I feel the greatest eagerness to read it.”

“I am very sorry, madam,” replied he, “that you have not already, read it, because you cannot speak of it with a full conviction of its merit:  which, I believe, when you have read it, you will have great pleasure in acknowledging.”

Some other things were said, but I remember them not, for I could hardly keep my place:  but my sweet, naughty Mrs. Thrale looked delighted for me......

When they were gone, how did Dr. Johnson astonish me by asking if I had observed what an ugly cap Miss Gregory had on?  Then taking both my hands, and looking at me with an expression of much kindness, he said,

“Well, Miss Burney, Mrs. Montagu now will read ‘Evelina’"......
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Mrs. Thrale then told me such civil things.   Mrs. Montagu, it
seems, during my retreat, inquired very particularly what kind of
book it was?

“And I told her,” continued Mrs. Thrale, “that it was a picture of life, manners, and characters.  ‘But won’t she go on,’ says she; ‘surely she won’t stop here?’