Mrs. Opie and Mrs. Fry. 145 



tainly formed a curious contrast to my old favourites, 

 the Radcliffe novels and the ghost stories; but I 

 had now come to years of discretion. 



Among my Quaker friends I met with that amiable 

 but eccentric person Mrs. Opie. Though a "wet" 

 Quakeress, she continued to wear the peculiar dress. 

 I was told that she was presented in it at the Tuileries, 

 and astonished the French ladies. We were also ac- 

 quainted with Mrs. Fry, a very different person, and 

 heard her preach. Her voice was fine, her delivery 

 admirable, and her prayer sublime. We were inti- 

 mate with Mr. (now Sir Charles) Lyell, who, if I mis- 

 take not, first met with his wife at our house, where 

 she was extremely admired as the beautiful Miss 

 Horner. Until we lost all our fortune, and went 

 to live at Chelsea, I used to have little evening 

 parties in Hanover Square. 



***** 



I was not present at the coronation of George the 

 Fourth ; but I had a ticket for the gallery in West- 

 minster Hall, to see the banquet. Though I went 

 very early in the morning, I found a wonderful 

 confusion. I showed my ticket of admission to one 

 official person after another ; the answer always was 

 " I know nothing about it." At last I got a good 

 place near some ladies I knew ; even at that early 

 hour the gallery was full. Some time after the 



