quantities of the
trees, and Bonaparte had to take the rangership from him and
reinstate the honest hesitator."

Many of her good stories had to be cut short or omitted for lack of time
to tell them. "I find always that when I come to the end of my paper I
have not told you half the entertaining things I had treasured up for
you," she tells her stepmother. As in London, they lived in a constant
whirl of gaiety. But Miss Edgeworth never forgot others amid the
distinctions paid to herself. She was constantly thinking either what
would please those left behind or what kind act she could do for those
around her; and if it were nothing more than helping other English
visitors to gain a glimpse of French society, she set herself with all
ardor to accomplish it:--

Next to the delight of seeing my sisters so justly appreciated and
so happy at Paris, my greatest pleasure has been in the power of
introducing people to each other, who longed to meet, but could not
contrive it before.

Social success did not turn her head:--

Certainly no people can have seen more of the world than we have
done in the last three months. By seeing the world I mean seeing
varieties of characters and manners, and being behind the scenes of
life in many different societies and families. The constant chorus
of our moral as we drive home together at night is, "How happy we
are to be so fond of each other! How happy we are to be independent
of all we see here! How happy that we have our dear home to return
to at last!"

Her sisters told on their return how readily Miss Edgeworth would quit
the company of the greatest people of the day, to superintend their
dress or arrange some pleasure for them. "We often wondered," they said,
"what her admirers would say, after all the profound remarks and
brilliant witticisms they had listened to, if they heard all her
delightful nonsense with us."

The sisters' gay life continued without intermission, only varied now
and then by visits to French country houses. Among the most agreeable
people they met Miss Edgeworth numbered some Russians and Poles. At the
house of the Princess Potemkin she first made wondering acquaintance
with, what is now fortunately a matter of course, the more refined mode
of serving dinner known as _a la Russe_. She met, too, Prince
Rostopchin, the man who burned Moscow by first setting fire to his own
house:--