and her eyes which bore the impreffion of a natural and lively pleasure) a lady of a certain age, whofe agreeable countenance had ftruck me at first fight, looked at Charlotte, and smiled; then held up her finger in a threatening attitude, and in a very fignificant tone of voice, faid "Albert! Albert!" Who is this Albert," said I to Charlotte, "if it is not impertinent?" She was going to anfwer, when we were obliged to separate for hands fix round at bottom; and in croffing over I thought I perceived that fhe looked pensive. "Why should I conceal it from you?" 66 faid fhe, when she gave me her hand to lead out of fides; Albert is a worthy man to whom I am engaged." I had been told this before by the ladies in the coach, but I had not then feen Charlotte; I did not know her value. I feemed to hear it for the first time. I was diftreffed, confused, wrong in the figure, and put every body out; and Charlotte, by pufhing one and pulling another, with great difficulty fet us right again. Whilft we were dancing, the lightning, which had for fome time been seen in the horizon, and which I had declared to be only fum fummer lightning, and proceeding entirely from heat, became much more violent, and the thunder was heard through all the noise of the fiddles. Three ladies run out of the set; their partners followed; the confufion became general, and the mufic stopped. When any distress or terror comes upon us in a fcene of amufement, it has a stronger effect on our minds, either because the contraft makes us feel it more keenly; or rather, perhaps, becaufe our fenfes being open to impressions of all kinds, the fhock is more forcibly and quickly perceived. This circumftance may account in fome fome measure for the extraordinary contortions and fhrieks of the ladies. One of the moft courageous fat down with her back to the window and stopped her ears; another knelt down before her and hid her face in her lap; a third fhoved herself be tween them, and embraced her little fifter, fhedding at the fame time a torrent of tears: fome infifted upon going home; others still more diftreffed did not attend to their indif creet partners, who were stealing from their lips thofe fighs that were addreffed to heaven. Some of the gentlemen went down stairs to drink a bottle quietly; and the rest of the com company very willingly followed the mistress of the houfe, who had the good fenfe to conduct us to a room darkened by close window-fhutters. As foon as we came into it, Charlotte drew the chairs round, made us fit down in a ring, and was eager to begin fome little play. More than one of our belles drew up and looked prim, in hopes of fome agreeable confequences from the forfeits. "Let us play at counting," faid Charlotte. "Obferve, I am to go from right to left; you are to count one after the other as you fit, and count faft: whoever ftops or mistakes is to have a box on the |