by degrees and elegantly less," or, with Lady Penrhyn, knew the value of their allies in attracting attention, furnished little or nothing to sell; and the duchess, for a moment, cast round her eyes in despair, by no means sorry to perceive such a promise of storm in the sky as to insist on another postponement of the fancy fair day, by which means a little time was given for more begging, with the assurance "that the smallest donation would be thankfully received."
"To be sure," said the duchess, musing, "as an exhibition of curiosities, the affair will be well furnished, and ought to be attractive; the people will come in by thousands: we must refuse nobody, and prevail on our lions to pace the ground the day through. We shall make money at the doors undoubtedly, but the sale will be nothing, absolutely nothing; for there is not a tolerably good thing in the collection besides our own, and not a single novelty amongst them. I think, Ginevra, my dear, we had better put your music-books into our stand; they will sell the better for having your autograph."
"I hope we shan't be so pushed for materials as that comes to; and you forget, mamma, that the daughters of Lady Anne have not arrived with their work, which will, I should hope, be worth having."
"I cannot hope any thing of the kind; if Lady Penrhyn brings so little, we cannot expect her sister-in-law to bring much; and where could the unmarried girls get materials? Lady Anne has been very useful
