rable, a Grecian Venus. Her
favorites are angels. Her enemies, demons.

"She would be thought very religious, and I hope that she will one day
become so; yet she sometimes treats serious things with no small levity,
and though she would not originally say a very bad word, yet she makes
no scruple of repeating, with great glee, profane stories told by
others. Besides, she possesses the dangerous art of exciting an improper
idea, without using an improper word. Gross indecency would shock her,
but she often verges so far toward indelicacy as to make Mrs. Stanley
uneasy. Then she is too much of a genius to be tied down by any
consideration of prudence. If a good thing occurs, out it comes, without
regard to time or circumstance. She would tell the same story to a
bishop as to her chambermaid. If she says a right thing, which she often
does, it is seldom in the right place. She makes her way in society,
without attaching many friends. Her bon-mots are admired and repeated;
yet I never met with a man of sense, though he may join in flattering
her, who did not declare, as soon as she was out of the room, that he
would not for the world that she should be his wife or daughter. It is
irksome to her to converse with her own sex, while she little suspects
that ours is not properly grateful for the preference with which she
honors us.

"She is," continued Mr. Stanley, "charitable with her purse, but not
with her tongue; she relieves her poor neighbors, and indemnifies
herself by slandering her rich ones. She has, however, many good
qualities, is generous, feeling, and humane, and I would on no account
speak so freely of a lady whom I receive at my house were it not that,
if I were, quite silent, after Ph[oe]be's expressed admiration, she
might conclude that I saw nothing to condemn in Miss Sparkes, and might
be copying her faults under the notion that being entertaining made
amends for every thing."

CHAPTER XXXII.

One morning, Sir John coming in from his ride, gayly called out to me,
as I was reading, "Oh Charles, such a piece of news! The Miss Flams are
converted. They have put on tuckers. They were at church twice on
Sunday. Blair's Sermons are sent for, and _you_ are the reformer." This
ludicrous address reminded Mr. Stanley that Mr. Flam had told him we
were all in disgrace for not having called on the ladies, and it was
proposed to repair this neglect.

"Now take notice," said Sir John, "if you do not see a ne