606 A Provincial Reputation. [|Dec. 



the embraces of all the arms that are extended to receive sti'angers ; but 

 feeling no wish to affront any one in return for an intended civility, we 

 gave card for card ; and the doors of good, bad, and indifferent, received 

 our names. 



All seemed to infer, that the amicable gauntlet, which had been thrown 

 down, having been courteously taken up, the ungloved hands were forth- 

 with to be grasped in token of good fellowship ; we had left our names 

 for them, and by the invitations that poured in upon us, they seemed to 

 say with Juliet — 



" And, /or thy vame, which is no part of thee, 

 Take all myself." 



No man, not even a provincial, can visit every body, and it seems but 

 fair, that if a selection is to be made, all should interchange the hospi- 

 talities of life with those persons in whose society they feel the greatest 

 enjoyment. 



IMany a dinner, therefore, did we decline, many a route did we reject ; 

 my husband's popularity tottered, and the inviters, though they no longer 

 dinned their dinners in our ears, and teazed us with their " teas," vowed 

 secret vengeance, and muttered " curses, not loud, but deep." 



I have hinted that we had no scandalous capabilities ; and though 

 slander flashed around us, we seldom achnitted morning visitors, and our 

 street-door was a non-conductor. 



But our next door neighbours were maiden ladies, who had been 

 younger, and, to use a common term of commiseration, had seen better 

 days ; by which I mean the days of bloom, natural hair, partners, and 

 the probability of husbands. 



Their vicinity to us was an infinite comfort to the town, for those who 

 were unable to gain admittance at our door to disturb our business and 

 desu'es, 



" For every man has business and desires, 

 Such as they are," 



were certain of better success at our neighbours', where they at least could 

 gain some information about us " from eye-witnesses who resided on the 

 spot." 



Ml/ sins were numbered, so were my new bonnets, and for a time my 

 husband was pitied, because " he had an extravagant wife ;" but when 

 it was ascertained that his plate was handsome, his dinner satisfactory 

 in its removes, and commc il faut in its courses, those whose feet had 

 never been witliin our door, saw clearly " how it must all end, and 

 really felt for our trades-people." 



I have acknowledged that I had written romances ; the occupation was 

 to'me a source of amusement : and as I had been successful, my husband 

 saw no reason why he should discourage me. A scribbling fool in or 

 out of petticoats, should be forbidden the use of pen, ink, and paper ; but 

 my husband had too much sense to heed the vulgar cry of " blue stock- 

 ing." After a busy month passed in London, we saw my new novel 

 sent forth to the public, and then returned to our mansion at Pumping- 

 ton Wells. 



As we drove up to our door, our virgin neighbours gazed on us, if 

 possible, Avith more than their former interest. They wiped their spec- 

 tacles ; with glances of commiseration they saw us alight, and with 

 uuAvearied scrutiny they witnessed the removal of our luggage from the 

 carriage. We Avent out — every body stared at us — the people we did 

 know, touched the hands we extended, and hastened on as if fearful of 

 infection ; the people we did not know, whispered as they passed us, and 



