“I think dirty boots are hardly fit ornaments for sofas.” “But suppose I think they are, my lady?” replied the baronet. To that supposition her ladyship made no reply, and indeed there was little that could be said on the subject. Passing on from the dirty boots to other grievances, her ladyship said: “And pray, Sir George Aimwell, may I be permitted to ask how long we are to have the pleasure of Miss Glossop’s company?” “Till she is married, my lady;” responded the worthy baronet. “Till she is married!” echoed the astonished lady; “and when is that to be? I never heard of any prospect of that event.” “Then, if it will afford your ladyship any pleasure, I will tell you,” replied the baronet. “Indeed,” replied Lady Aimwell, “I have no wish to know anything about the young lady’s affairs. I will venture to say, that Mr Robert Darnley knows better than to make any proposal to her.” “Very likely, my lady,” replied the magistrate, “but somebody else may not know better. What think you of Lord Spoonbill as a husband for this favorite young lady of yours?” “Lord Spoonbill! Nonsense,” said her ladyship in a tone of most exquisite contempt. “I never took his lordship for a conjuror, but he is hardly fool enough for that.” “I am not aware of your ladyship’s notion of conjurors,” replied the baronet, “but I can tell you for a fact, that I had it from Colonel Crop that Lord Spoonbill has it in his intention to offer marriage to your favorite young friend, and the colonel is here to negociate.” Thereupon her ladyship was angry, and assuming an almost theatrical attitude, and pushing aside Stackhouse’s History of the Bible, exclaimed, “Ridiculous! Contemptible! Colonel Crop is only laughing at you, and endeavouring to make a fool of the silly girl. But she has vanity enough to believe anything.” It was only on very extraordinary occasions that Lady Aimwell expressed herself with so much energy. And though the language here recorded does not bear the semblance of mighty vehemence or overpowering and impassioned eloquence, yet it was very vehement and very eloquent compared to her usual mode of expression; and her ladyship was almost exhausted by the energy with which she spoke, and the baronet, whom in this sentence we can hardly call worthy, felt no compassion for her ladyship’s sufferings under the exhaustion of her eloquence; but on the contrary, coolly smiled at her agitation, and sneeringly said: “Let me beg of your ladyship not to fatigue yourself by such great exertions. You had better compose yourself. Shall I bring you a smelling bottle?” Thus did the baronet make a mockery at her ladyship’s nervousness; and having made that rude speech he forthwith quitted the apartment, leaving the discussion unfinished and the particulars untold.