Page 797 - vanity-fair

der to sing at her parties and give her lessons for nothing.
Yes, she gave parties in the little house in Curzon Street.
Many scores of carriages, with blazing lamps, blocked up
the street, to the disgust of No. 100, who could not rest for
the thunder of the knocking, and of 102, who could not
sleep for envy. The gigantic footmen who accompanied
the vehicles were too big to be contained in Becky’s little
hall, and were billeted off in the neighbouring public-hous-
es, whence, when they were wanted, call-boys summoned
them from their beer. Scores of the great dandies of London
squeezed and trod on each other on the little stairs, laugh-
ing to find themselves there; and many spotless and severe
ladies of ton were seated in the little drawing-room, listen-
ing to the professional singers, who were singing according
to their wont, and as if they wished to blow the windows
down. And the day after, there appeared among the fash-
ionable reunions in the Morning Post a paragraph to the
following effect:
‘Yesterday, Colonel and Mrs. Crawley entertained a
select party at dinner at their house in May Fair. Their Ex-
cellencies the Prince and Princess of Peterwaradin, H. E.
Papoosh Pasha, the Turkish Ambassador (attended by Ki-
bob Bey, dragoman of the mission), the Marquess of Steyne,
Earl of Southdown, Sir Pitt and Lady Jane Crawley, Mr.
Wagg, &c. After dinner Mrs. Crawley had an assembly
which was attended by the Duchess (Dowager) of Stilton,
Duc de la Gruyere, Marchioness of Cheshire, Marchese
Alessandro Strachino, Comte de Brie, Baron Schapzuger,
Chevalier Tosti, Countess of Slingstone, and Lady F. Mac-

797