O'Neill's ball."
"Ball!" cried Mrs. Hill; and luckily saved Phoebe, who was in some
agitation, the trouble of speaking. "Why, this is a mighty sudden thing:
I never heard a tittle of it before."
"Well, this is really extraordinary! And, Phoebe, have you not received
a pair of Limerick gloves?"
"Yes, I have," said Phoebe, "but what then? What have my Limerick gloves
to do with the ball?"
"A great deal," replied Jenny. "Don't you know that a pair of Limerick
gloves is, as one may say, a ticket to this ball? for every lady that has
been asked has had a pair sent to her along with the card; and I believe
as many as twenty, besides myself, have been asked this morning."
Jenny then produced her new pair of Limerick gloves, and as she tried
them on, and showed how well they fitted, she counted up the names of the
ladies who, to her knowledge, were to be at this ball. When she had
finished the catalogue, she expatiated upon the grand preparations which
it was said the widow O'Neill, Mr. O'Neill's mother, was making for the
supper, and concluded by condoling with Mrs. Hill for her misfortune in
not having been invited. Jenny took her leave to get her dress in
readiness: "for," added she, "Mr. O'Neill has engaged me to open the ball
in case Phoebe does not go; but I suppose she will cheer up and go, as
she has a pair of Limerick gloves as well as the rest of us.
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