M. They were
scrupulous in their attentions to the Opera and the figurantes, and had no
objection to wear the chains of matrimony provided the links were made of
gold. In fine, they were of that common genus of gentlemen who lounge
through life, and leave nothing behind them but a tombstone and a small
six-shilling advertisement amongst the Deaths of some morning newspaper as
a record of their having existed.
Such were the persons and the qualifications of the gentlemen to whom
report had assigned the possession of the hand and fortune of the fair
Georgiana Gray. But, happy as they respectively felt to be thus singled
out for the proud distinction, still the knowledge of there being a rival
in the field to dispute the glories of the conquest materially detracted
from that feeling. They had each heard of the pretensions of the other;
and while the peace of the one was repeatedly disturbed by the panegyrics
of Mr. P., the harmony of the other met with an equal violation from the
eulogies of Mr. C.; and although their respective vanities would not allow
them to believe that the lady in question could be so deficient in taste
as to prefer any other person to their precious selves, still it was but
natural that they should neither look upon the other with any other
feeling than that of disgust at the egregious impudence, and contempt for
the superlative conceit, that could lead any other man to enter the lists
as an opponent to themselves.
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