On their arrival at Mrs. Tod's, Miss Isabella understood the purport of
their visit, and immediately produced her letter, receiving, at the same
time, a perusal of Mr. Andrew Pringle's. Mrs. Pringle's to Miss Mally
she had previously seen.
LETTER XXIV
Miss Rachel Pringle to Miss Isabella Tod MY DEAR BELL--Since my last, we have undergone great changes and
vicissitudes. Last week we removed to our present house, which is
exceedingly handsome and elegantly furnished; and on Saturday there was
an insurrection of the servants, on account of my mother not allowing
them to have their dinners served up at the usual hour for servants at
other genteel houses. We have also had the legacy in the funds
transferred to my father, and only now wait the settling of the final
accounts, which will yet take some time. On the day that the transfer
took place, my mother made me a present of a twenty pound note, to lay
out in any way I thought fit, and in so doing, I could not but think of
you; I have, therefore, in a box which she is sending to Miss Mally
Glencairn, sent you an evening dress from Mrs. Bean's, one of the most
fashionable and tasteful dressmakers in town, which I hope you will wear
with pleasure for my sake. I have got one exactly like it, so that when
you see yourself in the glass, you will behold in what state I appeared
at Lady ---'s route.
Ah! my dear Bell, how much are our expectations disappointed! How often
have we, with admiration and longing wonder, read the descriptions in the
newspapers of the fashionable parties in this great metropolis, and
thought of the Grecian lamps, the ottomans, the promenades, the
ornamented floors, the cut glass, the coup d'oeil, and the tout
ensemble. "Alas!" as Young the poet says, "the things unseen do not
deceive us." I have seen more beauty at an Irvine ball, than all the
fashionable world could bring to market at my Lady ---'s emporium for the
disposal of young ladies, for indeed I can consider it as nothing else.
I went with the Argents. The hall door was open, and filled with the
servants in their state liveries; but although the door was open, the
porter, as each carriage came up, rung a peal upon the knocker, to
announce to all the square the successive arrival of the guests. We were
shown upstairs to the drawing-rooms. They were very well, but neither so
grand nor so great as I expected. As for the company, it was a
suffocating crowd of fat elderly gentlewomen, and misses that stood in
need of all the charms of their fortunes. One thing I could notice--for
the press was so great, little could be seen--it was, that the old ladies
wore rouge. The white satin sleeve of my dress was entirely ruined by
coming in contact with a little round, dumpling duchess's cheek--as
vulgar a body as could well be. She seemed to me to have spent all her
days behind a counter, smirking thankfulness to bawbee customers.