with praise, so abundantly had it been showered upon her; and, like Lord Byron, she "awoke and found herself famous," not like him, for doing great things, but little ones; for it was certain that, in her day of power, she had made scores of grand entertainments, which really merited talking of, but were passed by with little comment; whereas, now, it was evident that all the world envied the few who had been "at home" with Lady Granard.
When she talked of a second, however, even her young daughters, much as they had enjoyed the first, looked blank, for Louisa and Charles were positively alarmed at the first hint she gave; and Mrs. Palmer absolutely protested against "turning the house out of the windows again; at least," she added, "till there is another wedding in the family—not a wedding like poor Louisa's, where the bride is a fugitive one week and fêted another, but a regular approved marriage, which would justify the outlay."
The Marquess of Wentworthdale had called on Lady Anne, as it so happened, at a time when her daughters were gone to Mr. Palmers, with an intention of assisting to restore the china closet to that state of propriety which they had unavoidably disarranged; in consequence of which a tête-à-tête occurred of the most interesting nature, containing a promise for the future far exceeding the meet brilliant visions which had ever occupied either her waking or her sleeping dreams. The vision was, however, so wire-
