VANITY — VANITY — ALL  IS  VANITY  !

IF  there  were  tumult  and  rage  at  Miss  Coxe's
toilette — if  Sir  Thomas  grumbled,  and  found
fault  with  every  one  but  Miss  Clare — if  Lady
Coxe  sneered  and  snarled,  and  the  whole  party  set
off  at  last  "  in  most  admired  disorder,"  hating
each  other,  the  ball,  and  all  the  world — things
were  worse  still  at  the  Stubbses.
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stubbs  (the  good  old  couple),
it  is  true,  were  ready  betimes.  They  were  re-
solved to  crush  all  hopes  in  Jemima  and  Smiley
of  their  not  going  ;  and  they  were  resolved,  too,
not  to  be  late.
A    LOVERS    QUARREL.  303

They  were  sitting  very  comfortably  after  their
early  and  very  substantial  "  tea,"  taking  a  cosy
glass  or  so  of  hot  brandy  and  water,  while  Smi-
ley was  stamping  with  impatience  in  one  room,
and  Jemima  having  what  she  called  "  a  good
cry"  in  another.
Poor  Jemima  had  good  cause  for  tears.  Not
only  the  united  efforts  of  parlour- maid,  house-
maid, and  cook  could  not  make  her  white  satin
boddice  meet;  but  cook,  more  zealous  than
skilful,  had  dropped  several  large  gouts  of  com-
posite candle  on  the  gleaming  satin  skirt,  just
where  it  was  most  seen.  A  gauze  tunic  (from
another  dress)  had  to  be  hastily  adjusted  over  it.
That  tunic  had  been  seen  before  in  Oldborough,
and  Jemima  was  wretched.
As  for  Smiley  Stubbs,  he  had  sent  to  London
for  a  coat,  waistcoat,  &c.,  &c.,  in  the  very  height
of  the  last  new  fashion,  and  for  a  pair  of  bottes
vernis  with  very  high  heels,  and  in  which  his
foot  was  to  look  "  small  by  degrees,  and  beau-
tifully less."


304  A  LOVER'S  QUARREL.
