"Yes, they called him so, as I recollect, and I really had a mind to put my name down, for I think I saw your ladyship's amongst the subscribers." "Yes, they are beautiful poems," said Lady N----. "So I understand--there are some vastly pretty things in his collection--but one hears of so many good things coming out every day," said Mrs. Fanshaw, in a plaintive voice. "In these days, I think, every body writes--" "And reads," said Lady N----. "And reads," said Mrs. Fanshaw. "We have learned ladies now, wherever one goes, who tell one they never play at cards--I am sure they are very bad company. Jane," said she, turning to her daughter, "I hope you won't take it into your head to turn out a reading lady!" "Oh dear, no!" said Miss Fanshaw: "we had not much time for reading at Suxberry House, we were so busy with our masters;--we had a charming English master though, to teach us elocution, because it's so fashionable now to read loud well. Mrs. Harcourt, _isn't it odd_ to read English books to a French governess?" continued this young lady, whose constrained taciturnity now gave way to a strong desire to show herself off before Lady N----. She had observed that Isabella and Matilda had been listened to with approbation, and she imagined that, when she spoke, she should certainly eclipse them. Mrs. Harcourt replied to her observation, that Mad. de Rosier not only read and spoke English remarkably well, but that she had also a general knowledge of English literature. "Oh! here are some French books," said Miss Fanshaw, taking down one out of the book-case--"'Journal Étranger'--dear me! are you translating _of_ this, Miss Isabella?" "No," said Mrs. Harcourt; "Madame de Rosier brought it down stairs yesterday, to show us an essay of Hume's on the study of history, which is particularly addressed to women; and Mad. de Rosier says that it is not to be found in several of the late editions of Hume's Essays--she thought it singular that it should be preserved in a French translation." "There is," said Isabella, "an entertaining account in that essay of a lady who asked Hume to lend her some novels! He lent her Plutarch's Lives, which she thought very amusing, till she found out that they were true. As soon as she came to the names of Caesar and Alexander, she returned the books." Mrs. Fanshaw was surprised that Lady N---- begged to look at this essay; and was much disappointed to observe that the graceful manner in which Miss Fanshaw presented the book to her ladyship escaped notice. "Pray, Miss Matilda, is that a drawing?" said Mrs. Fanshaw, in hopes of leading to a more favourable subject. "Oh, dear me! do pray favour us with a sight of it!" cried Miss Fanshaw, and she eagerly unrolled the paper, though Matilda assured her that it was not a drawing. It was Hogarth's print of a country dance, which was prefixed to his "Analysis of Beauty."