nsequence, animated, as they were, by the vivacity of her
conversation. Her teeth were excellent, and her eyes, although inclining
to grey, were lively, laughing, and undimmed by time. A slight shade of
complexion, more brilliant than her years promised, subjected my friend
amongst strangers to the suspicion of having stretched her foreign
habits as far as the prudent touch of the rouge. But it was a calumny;
for when telling or listening to an interesting and affecting story,
I have seen her colour come and go as if it played on the cheek of
eighteen.

Her hair, whatever its former deficiencies was now the most beautiful
white that time could bleach, and was disposed with some degree of
pretension, though in the simplest manner possible, so as to appear
neatly smoothed under a cap of Flanders lace, of an old-fashioned but,
as I thought, of a very handsome form, which undoubtedly has a name,
and I would endeavour to recur to it, if I thought it would make my
description a bit more intelligible. I think I have heard her say these
favourite caps had been her mother's, and had come in fashion with a
peculiar kind of wig used by the gentlemen about the time of the
battle of Ramillies. The rest of her dress was always rather costly and
distinguished, especially in the evening. A silk or satin gown of some
colour becoming her age, and of a form which, though complying to a
certain degree with the present fashion, had always a reference to some
more distant period, was garnished with triple ruffles. Her shoes had
diamond buckles, and were raised a little at heel, an advantage which,
possessed in her youth, she alleged her size would not permit her to
forego in her old age. She always wore rings, bracelets, and other
ornaments of value, either for the materials or the workmanship; nay,
perhaps she was a little profuse in this species of display. But
she wore them as subordinate matters, to which the habits of being
constantly in high life rendered her indifferent; she wore them because
her rank required it, and thought no more of them as articles of finery
than a gentleman dressed for dinner thinks of his clean linen and
well-brushed coat, the consciousness of which embarrasses the rustic
beau on a Sunday.

Now and then, however, if a gem or ornament chanced to be noticed for
its beauty or singularity, the observation usually led the way to an
entertaining account of the manner in which it had been acquired, or the
person fro