Good-bye,
good-bye."
Hitherto I had never been out to a party of grown-up people; and no
court ball to a London young lady could seem more redolent of honour
and pleasure than this Monday evening to me.
Dressed out in new stiff book-muslin, made up to my throat,--a frock
which had seemed to me and my sisters the height of earthly grandeur
and finery--Alice, our old nurse, had been making it at home, in
contemplation of the possibility of such an event during my stay in
Edinburgh, but which had then appeared to me a robe too lovely and
angelic to be ever worn short of heaven--I went with Miss Duncan to
Mr. Dawson's at the appointed time. We entered through one small
lofty room, perhaps I ought to call it an antechamber, for the house
was old-fashioned, and stately and grand, the large square drawing-
room, into the centre of which Mrs. Dawson's sofa was drawn. Behind
her a little was placed a table with a great cluster candlestick upon
it, bearing seven or eight wax-lights; and that was all the light in
the room, which looked to me very vast and indistinct after our
pinched-up apartment at the Mackenzie's.
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