The Earl of Trimmerstone, who had cared but little for Miss Sampson, now cared less for Lady Trimmerstone. His own acquaintance with that part of polite society with which his lady might with propriety have been made intimate, was very small and contracted; and he took little pains to form any friendships or intimacies for her with them. Every body pitied her, but nobody patronised her. Some, indeed, have gone so far as to say, that whenever they called, they were sure to see Mr. Tippetson there. Some grave ladies thought of hinting to the Countess the impropriety of such familiarity and unreasonable intimacy with this young gentleman. But they thought again that it was no business of theirs; and so they let her alone. It would be an ingenious work for an ingenious man to write an essay on every body. Many can write well on nothing; but who can write well on every body? Every body is a paradox and a contradiction. Every body said that Tippetson was always with the Countess of Trimmerstone; and every body said that Tippetson was always with Clara Rivolta. This could not be true. Clara was not aware of the young gentleman’s intimacy with the Countess; nor had she ever heard the censorious remarks which the calumnious and wicked world had circulated concerning him. But the Countess was aware of his intimacy with the family of old John Martindale, and of the intention with which that intimacy was kept up. Frequently would she make allusion to it in such style of expression, as to lead the young puppy to imagine that she should, in the event of his marriage, feel the loss of his company. Such indeed was the impudence of this young coxcomb, that he has actually been heard to say that he had not quite made up his mind whether he should take Clara to Scotland, or the Countess to Italy.