One night there was a large party at Lady Townley’s. Alixe, Everard and Emily were on a sofa together. Captain Aimwell was talking to Miss Price. Annette was sitting nearly opposite on a low ottoman with Darlies, Colonel Manners, her mother and Pamela, who with her gloves off to display the whitest and roundest arm possible, was raising her beautiful sleepy eyes with a vain endeavour to catch the sense of what some gentleman was saying to her about the castle of Drachenfels on the Rhine. Suddenly, Annette rose and shot across the room, followed by the eyes of the Ottoman party and attracting the attention of all those immediately opposite. Everard stopped short in an animated discussion he was beginning with Captain Aimwell.

“See what a sensation I have produced,” said Annette, laughing. “What do you all expect me to do or to say, that you now honour me with so much notice!”

“Something very extraordinary we always expect when Miss Aimwell moves or speaks,” said Everard with a half-smile.

“Your comprehension has grown clearer or your ideas of female excellence have changed depuis peu Mr Price,” said Annette. “I remember the time when you would not have thought it wonderful had I moved from the ottoman to the sofa, even had you been sitting on that sofa. But that was when ‘Zuleika and her lute were new.’”

And with a glance of meaning at the unconscious Alixe and a mock sigh, the young lady paused. Everard paused too, and having gravely measured the distance with his eye, he said:

“Now seriously, Miss Aimwell, I have been contemplating, and I find you have come five times the distance. Any moderately courageous young lady would have come without the help either of chaperon or pastor, from whence I infer that you are superior by five degrees to the rest of your sex, or if the compliment be better, that you are worth five ordinary women.”

“You are unworthy [of] my wrath,” said Annette, “and I shall not please to understand you when you are satirical. I shall take your compliment in the most matter of fact way and am willing to consider myself equal or superior to ten ordinary women, if any one will swear it.”

The party laughed and Annette continued, “now pray all of you attend to your own conversation, while I speak to Miss St Clair.”