Nor were these the only tokens of dispersal. Boxes appeared in the
bedrooms (where they were capital at other times), and a surprising
amount of packing took place, out of all proportion to the amount
packed. Largess, in the form of odds and ends of cold cream and
pomatum, and also of hairpins, was freely distributed among the
attendants. On charges of inviolable secrecy, confidences were
interchanged respecting golden youth of England expected to call,
'at home,' on the first opportunity. Miss Giggles (deficient in
sentiment) did indeed profess that she, for her part, acknowledged
such homage by making faces at the golden youth; but this young
lady was outvoted by an immense majority.
On the last night before a recess, it was always expressly made a
point of honour that nobody should go to sleep, and that Ghosts
should be encouraged by all possible means. This compact
invariably broke down, and all the young ladies went to sleep very
soon, and got up very early.
The concluding ceremony came off at twelve o'clock on the day of
departure; when Miss Twinkleton, supported by Mrs. Tisher, held a
drawing-room in her own apartment (the globes already covered with
brown Holland), where glasses of white-wine and plates of cut
pound-cake were discovered on the table. Miss Twinkleton then
said: Ladies, another revolving year had brought us round to that
festive period at which the first feelings of our nature bounded in
our--Miss Twinkleton was annually going to add 'bosoms,' but
annually stopped on the brink of that expression, and substituted
'hearts.
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