Without suspecting the object, Diana soon discovered
that her sister was in one of her love fits. Indeed she cared nothing
about it; and leaving her to pursue the passion as she liked, poor
Euphemia, according to her custom when laboring under this whimsical
malady, addicted herself to solitude. This romantic taste she
generally indulged by taking her footman to the gate of the green in
Cavendish Square, where he stood until she had performed a pensive
saunter up and down the walk. After this she returned home, adjusted
her hair in the Madonna fashion, (because Thaddeus had one day
admired the female head in a Holy Family, by Guido, over the chimney-
piece,) and then seating herself in some becoming attitude, usually
waited, with her eyes constantly turning to the door, until the
object of these devices presented himself. She impatiently watched
all his motions and looks whilst he attended to her sister; and the
moment that was done, she ran over her own lessons with great
volubility, but little attention. Her task finished, she shut the
books, and employed the remainder of the time in translating a number
of little mottoes into German, which she had composed for boxes,
baskets, and other frippery.
One day, when her young teacher was, as usual, tired almost beyond
endurance with making common sense out of so much nonsense, Euphemia
observed that Diana had removed to the other end of the room with the
Honorable Mr.
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