For the first hour all had been compliment, success, and smiles; presently came the BUTS, and the hesitated objections, and the 'damning with faint praise.' All THAT could be borne.

Everybody has his taste--and one person's taste is as good as another's; and while she had Mr.Soho to cite, Lady Clonbrony thought she might be well satisfied.

But she could not be satisfied with Colonel Heathcock, who, dressed in black, had stretched his 'fashionable length of limb' under the statira canopy upon the snow-white swan-down couch.

When, after having monopolised attention, and been the subject of much bad wit, about black swans and rare birds, and swans being geese and geese being swans, the colonel condescended to rise, and, as Mrs.
Dareville said, to vacate his couch, that couch was no longer white--the black impression of the colonel remained on the sullied snow.
'Eh, now! really didn't recollect I was in black,' was all the apology he made.

Lady Clonbrony was particularly vexed that the appearance of the statira, canopy should be spoiled before the effect had been seen by Lady Pococke, and Lady Chatterton, and Lady G--, Lady P--, and the Duke of V--, and a party of superlative fashionables, who had promised TO LOOK IN UPON HER, but who, late as it was, had not yet arrived.