She always wore rings, bracelets, and other ornaments
of value, either for the materials or the workmanship;
nay, perhaps she was a little profuse in
this species of display. But she wore them as
subordinate matters, to which the habits of being
constantly in high life rendered her indifferent;
the wore them because her rank required it, and
thought no more of them as articles of finery, than
a gentleman dressed for dinner thinks of his clean
linen and well-brushed coat, the consciousness of
which embarrasses the rustic beau on a Sunday.
Now and then, however, if a gem or ornament
chanced to be noticed for its beauty or singularity,
the observation usually led the way to an entertaining
account of the manner in which it had been
acquired, or the person from whom it had descended
to its present possessor. On such and
similar occasions my old friend spoke willingly,
which is not uncommon, but she also, which is more
rare, spoke remarkably well, and had in her little
narratives concerning foreign parts, or former days,
which formed an interesting part of her conversation,
the singular art of dismissing all the usual
protracted tautology respecting time, place, and
circumstances, which is apt to settle like a mist
upon the cold and languid tales of age, and at the
same time of bringing forward, dwelling upon, and
illustrating, those incidents and characters which
give point and interest to the story.
Pages:
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186