nce, become
insupportable. She told over her visiting tickets regularly twice a
day, and gave to every card of invitation a heartfelt sigh. Miss Pratt
alarmed her ladyship, by bringing intelligence of some parties given by
persons of consequence, to which she was not invited. She feared that
she should be forgotten in the world, well knowing how soon the world
forgets those they do not see every day and everywhere. How miserable
is the fine lady's lot who cannot forget the world, and who is forgot by
the world in a moment! How much more miserable still is the condition
of a would-be fine lady, working her way up in the world with care and
pains! By her, every the slightest failure of attention, from persons
of rank and fashion, is marked and felt with jealous anxiety, and with a
sense of mortification the most acute--an invitation omitted is a matter
of the most serious consequence, not only as it regards the present, but
the future; for if she be not invited by Lady A, it will lower her in
the eyes of Lady B, and of all the ladies of the alphabet. It will form
a precedent of the most dangerous and inevitable application. If she has
nine invitations, and the tenth be wanting, the nine have no power to
make her happy. This was precisely Lady Clonbrony's case--there was to
be a party at Lady St. James's, for which Lady Clonbrony had no card.

'So ungrateful, so monstrous, of Lady St. James!--What! was the gala so
soon forgotten, and all the marked attentions paid that night to Lady
St. James!--attentions, you know, Pratt, which were looked upon with a
jealous eye, and made me enemies enough, I am told, in another quarter!
Of all people, I did not expect to be slighted by Lady St. James!'

Miss Pratt, who was ever ready to undertake the defence of any person
who had a title, pleaded, in mitigation of censure, that perhaps Lady
St. James might not be aware that her ladyship was yet well enough to
venture out.

'Oh, my dear Miss Pratt, that cannot be the thing; for, in spite of my
rheumatism, which really was bad enough last Sunday, I went on purpose
to the Royal Chapel, to show myself in the closet, and knelt close to
her ladyship. And, my dear, we curtsied, and she congratulated me, after
church, upon my being abroad again, and was so happy to see me look
so well, and all that--Oh! it is something very extraordinary and
unaccountable!'

'But, I daresay, a card will come yet,' said Miss Pratt.

Upon this hint, Lady Clo