of many of Mrs. Ashwood's visitors.

A widow, in possession of an handsome jointure, and her children amply
provided for, Mrs. Ashwood was believed to entertain no aversion to a
second marriage: and her house being so near London, was frequented by a
great number of single men; many of whom came there because it was a
pleasant jaunt from the city, where most of them resided; and others,
with hopes of amending their fortunes by an alliance with the lady
herself.

These latter, however, were chiefly the younger sons of merchants; and
though pleased with their flattery and assiduity, Mrs. Ashwood, who had
an almost equal share of vanity and ambition, had yet given no very
decided preference to any; for she imagined her personal attractions, of
which she had a very high idea, added to the advantages of a good
income, good expectations, and opulent connections, entitled her to
marry into an higher line of life than that in which her father had
first engaged her.

Her acquaintance, however, was yet very limited among persons of
fashion; and it was not wholly without hopes of encreasing it that she
had consented to receive Miss Mowbray, whose relationship to Lord
Montreville would, she imagined, be the means of introducing her to his
Lordship's notice and to that of his family.

Her civility and kindness to Emmeline were unbounded for some time. And
as she was not easily convinced of her own want of beauty, she never
apprehended that she ran some risk of becoming a foil, instead of the
first figure, as she expected generally to be.

The extreme simplicity of Emmeline's appearance, who notwithstanding the
remonstrances of Mrs. Ashwood continued to dress nearly as she did in
Wales; and her perfect ignorance of fashionable life and fashionable
accomplishments, gave her, in the eyes of many of Mrs. Ashwood's
visitors, the air of a dependant; and those who visited with a view to
the fortune of the latter, carefully avoided every appearance of
preference to Emmeline, and kept her friend in good humour with herself.

But there were, among those who frequented her house, some men of
business; who being rather in middle life, and immensely rich, had no
other views in going thither than to pass a few hours in the country,
when their mercantile engagements prevented their leaving London
entirely; and who loved pleasure better than any thing but money.

With one or two of these, Mrs. Ashwood and her father had at different
times encouraged overtures of marriage. But they knew and enjoyed the
pleasure their fortune