_Miss Ton_ accompanied me to the opera; I was amazed at the height of her head, and how her chair had failed to crush the fabric of feathers and frivolity which rose above each other! I could not think she had flown, though she was composed of cork and feather; and willing to be informed how she had managed it (as ignorance, you know, is reprehensible) I ventured to ask her the question. She returned me a look of contempt (as if to pity my ignorance) saying, she always took care to prevent a misfortune of that kind! When I go to court, said she, as heads are wore lower[35] there--I fit like your old woman upon the seat of the chair, which is convenient enough on account of one's trimmings, but when I go to the opera, where _fancy directs_ and _fashion prevails_, I say my prayers the whole way--that is to say, I kneel _on the bottom of the chair_. I admired her ingenuity; only observed, I hoped it did not fatigue her knees so much as to prevent her from going to church next day! O, not in the least, said she; but I always go to the drawing-room of a Sunday! except when I go to the Chapel-royal--_the closet there_, indeed, that is no bad public place--nobody but people of fashion are admitted, and it is really sometimes very amusing! The truth is, if one liked church very much, there is time enough to dress afterwards; for it is not _the rage_ which a certain set to go to the drawing-room until your old-fashioned people are coming away. Oh the dear delight of meeting these dowdies on their _retour_ home to their spouses and family dinners at _four o'clock_. Then we make such glorious confusion! I took the liberty of saying that I thought the respect due to their Majesties had induced every body to be in the drawing-room previous to their appearance! Oh, not at all, child, said she--except your _formal ones_! But why, said I, madam, need you go to court of a Sunday, why not of a Thursday as well? Of a Thursday! Nobody goes of a Thursday! Pardon me, replied I, the Duchess of W---- introduced me on that day! That may be, replied Miss _Ton_, her Grace is very old, wrinkles make her religious--but none but such, or courtiers, go of a Thursday! I again took the liberty of telling her that it had also been a very full drawing-room--Then, said she, it must have been the Thursday after the birthday--or some particular day; for otherwise few of a certain set, who understand _the rage_, would go. The _rage_, said I, madam! I am again at a loss; did I hear you right? O, perfectly well, said she; the _ton_, was formerly the word, but _the rage_, has lately been adopted from the French! (It is to be hoped, that the Parisians will also, from their late partiality for _English Gauzes_, _Silks_, _Linens_, _etc._ induce us to adopt _them also_, instead of too often procuring these articles from France.)