"You may sit down," cried she, stirring the fire, and not deigning to
look at him; "for my daughter may not choose to come this half-hour."
"I prefer standing," replied the count, who could have laughed at the
accuracy of Miss Egerton's picture, had he not prognosticated more
disagreeableness to himself from the ill manners of which this was a
specimen.
Lady Dundas took no further notice of him. Turning from her bloated
countenance, (which pride as well as high living had swollen from
prettiness to deformity,) he walked to a window and stationed himself
there, looking into the street, until the door was again opened, and
two ladies made their appearance.
"Miss Dundas," cried her ladyship, "here is the young man that is to
teach you German."
Thaddeus bowed; the younger of the ladies curtseyed; and so did the
other, not forgetting to accompany such condescension with a toss of
the head, that the effect of undue humility might be done away.
Whilst a servant was setting chairs round a table, on which was
painted the Judgment of Hercules, Lady Dundas again opened her lips.
"Pray, Mr. Thingumbob, have you brought any grammars, and primers,
and dictionaries, and syntaxes with you?"
Before he had time to reply in the negative, Miss Dundas interrupted
her mother.
"I wish, madam, you would leave the arrangement of my studies to
myself.
Pages:
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314