For the first hour all had
been compliment, success, and smiles; presently came the BUTS, and the
hesitated objections, and the 'damning with faint praise.' All THAT
could be borne. Everybody has his taste--and one person's taste is as
good as another's; and while she had Mr. Soho to cite, Lady Clonbrony
thought she might be well satisfied. But she could not be satisfied with
Colonel Heathcock, who, dressed in black, had stretched his 'fashionable
length of limb' under the statira canopy upon the snow-white swan-down
couch. When, after having monopolised attention, and been the subject
of much bad wit, about black swans and rare birds, and swans being geese
and geese being swans, the colonel condescended to rise, and, as Mrs.
Dareville said, to vacate his couch, that couch was no longer white--the
black impression of the colonel remained on the sullied snow.
'Eh, now! really didn't recollect I was in black,' was all the apology
he made. Lady Clonbrony was particularly vexed that the appearance of
the statira, canopy should be spoiled before the effect had been seen by
Lady Pococke, and Lady Chatterton, and Lady G--, Lady P--, and the Duke
of V--, and a party of superlative fashionables, who had promised TO LOOK
IN UPON HER, but who, late as it was, had not yet arrived.
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