On Monday he made himself seen at numerous coffee-houses and taverns,
but, although he came upon two or three faces that he had noted in the
theatre, no one looked at him with any sign of recollection. "Well,
well," thought he, and afterward said to Madge, "in time they will
come to remember me as the lovely creature's escort; at first their
eyes will be all for the lovely creature herself."
They went to Covent Garden that evening, and to the Haymarket the
next; and subsequently to public assemblies: Madge everywhere
arresting attention, and exciting whispers and elbowings among
observers wherever she passed. At the public balls, she was asked to
dance, by fellows of whom neither she nor Ned approved, but who, Ned
finally came to urge, might be useful acquaintances as leading to
better ones. But she found all of them contemptible, and would not
encourage any of them.
"If we could only get an invite to some private entertainment, the
thing would be done in a jiffy," said Ned, "but damn it, you won't
lead on any of these fellows--sure they must know ladies to whom they
would mention you."
"I shouldn't think much of ladies that sought acquaintances on _their_
recommendation."
"Why, curse it, we must begin somewhere, to get in."
"If we began where these could open the doors, I warrant we shouldn't
get very far in."
"Rat me if I understand why the men that are taken with you at the
play, and elsewhere--real gentlemen of quality, some of 'em--never try
to follow you up through me.
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